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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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L 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




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Horse Breeding 

on the 

Western Ranges. 



CONTEXTS. 



A LITTLE HISTORY _ _ _ _ 

THK PRESENT SITUATION _ _ _ 

WHAT CAN BE DONE - - - 

THE Fl'TTRE OUTLOOK - - - 

CAN HORSE RAISING ON THE RANGE BE MADE 
PROFITABLE? _- _ - _ 

HINTS ON RANCH MANAGEMENT - - 

MULE RAISIN(; - - _ _ _ 

BREAKING WESTERN HORSES FOR MARKET 

MARKETS AND MARKETING - - - 

SHIPPING SEASON - - - - 



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30 

33 



HA\'F SHIPPING STOCK FAT - 

WHAT NOT TO SHIP - - - 

POINTS ON SHIPPING - - - 

PROSPECTS FOR THE COMING SEASON 
"WHAT WILL THEY BRINc;?" 
OURSELVES ----- 

THE DISSATISFIED - - - 

ARE THESE POINTS OF VALl'E TO YOU? 
TERMS ----- 

SPECIAL INSTKl'CTIONS 



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Vop!iri(ihl,;l JS!)-J hji T. II. s I'M' I.IU Sd ^\: Cd. 



Horse Breeding on the Range. 



Can the Horse Ranch be made Profitable? 




T. H. SPAULDING & CO. 

UNION STOCK YARDS, 

CHICAGO. 

1892. 



^PR 30 i£S2 




ISHING to give as much of general interest as possible to our introduction to the season of 1892, 
we have reviewed our large correspondence with western breeders, to determine the precise points 
upon which there has been the most inquirjf. But we find there is hardly an item in any way con- 
nected with western horse breeding, upon which we have not been many times requested to express an 
opinion. The difficulty of selecting the most important, has led us to treat our subject at far greater length 
than at first intended; to go more into detail than may seem necessary to the casual reader. 

Our location at the center of the trade, large experience in certain branches of the business, and 
above all, exceptional opportunities for meeting the most intelligent and progressive breeders both east and 
west and discussing the horse interests generally with them, have given us many advantages for observation 
not possessed by individual ranchmen. We have endeavored to give clearly what seems to us the best 
of the ideas thus acquired. Further, our readers may rest assured that there is not an opinion advanced 
that we do not honestly believe to be correct, or an improvement suggested that we have not personally 
seen tried and proven of practical value. 

Of course our great object in publishing and distributing this pamphlet, is to call attention to our own 
special branch of the western horse trade; otherwise we could not afford the expense of printing and mailing 
it free of charge. Do not, however, throw it aside as "an advertisement" without looking further. For 
each page that relates to our own business, there are ten devoted to other features of western horse breeding. 

We feel confident that anyone who is the direct owner, thinks of owning, or has any interest, financially or 
otherwise in a western horse ranch, can find something that will repay him for the brief time necessary to 
glance through it. He may not agree with us in the views advanced, but we zvaiit the leader to criticise. 
Criticism involves study, and western horse breeders as a rule have not been studying their business and its 
requirements sufficiently. If it in any way stimulates thought of this kind, the little book will have proven 
of value to its recipient. 

We ask him to compare his own views with ours, weigh carefully the causes and effects of both, then 
decide which are of the most practical benefit. He is cordially welcome to whatever of value he raay derive 
from the suggestions offered. 
<\fZS: ^ T. H. Sp.^ulding & Co. 



A Little History 



When striving to determine the true present con- 
dition of any occupation, we can often derive much 
that is of real assistance in arriving at a correct con- 
clusion by reviewing its previous history. So, in this 
instance a brief outline of the growth and develop- 
ment of horse breeding in the west, may prove of 
interest. 

It is not many years ago that horse raising on 
the range, was almost insignificant as a distinct busi- 
ness, compared with the cattle and sheep interests. 
A few small herds of inferior stock supplied the cattle 
men with cow-ponies and such work horses as were 
necessary. Almost anything was considered good 
enough for a cow-pony, so, little or no attention was 
paid to improving the grade of horses, by the infus- 
ion of new and better blood. 

The great boom in cattle several years since and 
the grand rush of everyone into that business, had a 
stimulating effect on everything connected with it. In 
nothing was this result more marked than in horse 
raising. The immense additional herds of cattle ne- 



cessitated hundreds of saddle horses to handle them, 
and in a short time, with the demand far exceeding 
the available supply, cow-ponies were bringing prices 
greatly out of proportion to their real value. 

Under these circumstances, it seemed only the best 
business judgment to invest in a band of horses. 
Buyers willingly paid large figures on the ranch for all 
thfi matured geldings, and moreover such a 
thing as winter loss of any consequence, among this 
class of stock, was unknown. 

iU this time also, horse breeders began to realize 
tharit cost no more to raise a better horse than a 
poor one and the movement toward improving the 
herds by the importation of better stallions became 
general. While of course there were exceptions, men 
who had for years been breeding the best horses they 
could, yet they were few and scattered, and up to 
this time the rule had been to let the stock run wild, 
a colt being a colt no matter of what qualit}-. 

The small southern mares were found to grade up 
rapidly and the herds were still further improved by 
bringing in many bands from Oregon, which had been 
far in advance of the more eastern ranges in the qual- 
ity of her horses. 

Rapidly succeeding the sudden rise, and inflated val- 
ues of cattle, came the reaction and almost total de- 
pression of this branch of stock growing. Many who 
had invested in cattle at high figures, saw their prop- 
erty rapidly slipping away from them, caused both by 



depreciation ih value and heavy winter losses. They 
could see no hope for improvement in the near future 
and the natural impulse was to save what they had 
left if possible. Cattle were low and going lower, 
and the next winter might kill the remainder of the 
herd, while on the other hand horses were high, the 
horsemen prosperous and most reassuring of all, 
horses were considered absolutely safe so far as win- 
ters were concerned. 

That sentiment, "It's as easy to raise a hundred 
dollar horse as a twenty-five dollar steer," turned 
many a cattle man into a horse breeder. But nearly 
everyone lost sight of the all-important fact, that it is 
one thing to raise a hundred dollar horse and alto- 
gether another matter to get a hundred dollars in 
cash for him. As one of the small army converted 
by this theory, the writer speaks from unpleasant 
e.xperience. 

Horse ranches sprang up everywhere. The finest 
stallions that money could buy, were imported direct 
to the ranges and the great west was soon going to 
supply the whole world with horses. When the home 
demand for cow-ponies fell off, the enterprising breed- 
er who shipped his marketable stock to the east, found 
ready sales at prices, which, even while they did not 
net him quite what he had been realizing at home, 
still returned a fair profit on his investment. 

Indeed, at this period few western breeders who 
had any number of good horses to dispose of, were 



obliged to ship their stock. Traders gladly paid good 
prices on the ranch, shipping the horses east on spec- 
ulation. 

The rapid decrease in extent of the great cattle 
ranches, opened up the country to the settler, who 
soon discovered that the sage brush flats of the sup- 
posed desert were, when irrigated, even more fruitful 
than the rich prairie lands he had left. But he re- 
quired horses to develop his farm, which the neigh- 
boring horse breeder could and did supply at good 
prices. 

The western prairie states, Kansas, Nebraska, and 
the Dakotas, where the rush of new develop- 
ment demanded more horses than were raised within 
their borders, also made a market which could be 
easily reached at small expense by trail and where 
prices were fairly remunerative. 

So, with his herd increasing rapidly, both in number 
and quality, with all these markets taking his matur- 
ed geldings and barren mares, at figures which left 
him a good profit on his investment, both of money 
and labor, the horse breeder felt that his lot was in- 
deed pleasant. 

But conditions began to change and each year has 
made this more distinctly felt. 

The settler, who had bought his farming stock 
from 1 he neighboring breeders, soon realized that he 
possessed the same advantages for stock raising, as 
did this neighbor and it was not long until he became 



in a small way, a horse grower himself. This soon 
had a serious effect upon the home market. 

Then the subsidence of the emigration boom, 
combined with largely increased interest in horse 
breeding, in the western prairie states, Kansas, Neb- 
braska, etc., practically closed that outlet for the sur- 
plus of range-bred horses. At least, the lessened 
demand forced prices down to a figure that the breed- 
er could not take except at a loss. 

This left the markets of the extreme east the only 
recourse for western breeders; the only section that 
could take the immense number of horses that were, 
and are now, maturing every year on the ranges. 

As we have said, the first shipments of range-bred 
horses to the extreme east, found read}- sale at good 
prices, but this desirable state of affairs has been 
steadily growing less satisfactory. Prices have gone 
lower and lower, sales have been more and more diffi- 
cult to make, until the present discouraging situation 
has been reached. 

That this has been caused by the general market 
for business horses all over the country growing 
weaker, is unquestionable. But what has caused this 
depreciation throughout the whole United States, is 
the real point which we wish to bring out by this re- 
view of events, that are doubtless as familiar to our 
readers as to ourselves. 

This fact, which we are so particularly anxious to 
impress on western breeders is, that the same causes 



which brought about the boom in horse breeding on 
the ranges, had a precisely similar effect throughout 
the whole country. 

This was especially true of the corn growing states, 
where the live stock interests in all branches, are ad- 
mittedly greater in the aggregate, than in any other 
section of the country. 

The farmers of this region, whose main dependence 
had been cattle, reasoned the same as did the ranch- 
men, when they saw their stock depreciating so rapid- 
ly, that there was little profit left in growing it. 
Horses were high, and could be raised at nearly as 
low cost as steers, so nothing could be more natural 
than to cut down their cattle and breed more horses. 
These horses were necessarily sold to realize profit 
from the business and this immensely increased pro- 
duction has had its effect on the general markets. 

These markets might possibly have withstood the 
strain of the unusually large offerings of common busi- 
ness stock which the entire country has turned off 
during the past three or four years, had it not been 
for the extensive and unlocked for development of 
horse saving inventions. Probably the most felt of 
any of these, has been the application of electricity 
and cable power to street railways. 

The street car systems formerly consumed immense 
numbers of a certain class of horses, to which the 
better grade of range raised stock was well suited, and 
it seemed for a time a great opening for the western 



breeders. Electricity has not only practically 
closed this market, but what is still more disastrous, 
has thrown into competition with the western stock 
on the open markets, the large number of native or 
eastern raised horses which had been formerly re- 
quired for street car consumption. Moreover, not only 
in the case of street cars alone, but the belt lines, pri- 
vate switches, etc., in the great manufacturing cen- 
ters, have done away with an immense amount of 
hauling and trucking, which fact has had its share in 
depressing the values of business stock. 

In substance, the western breeder has in a con- 
stantly increasing degree, been obliged to place his 
horses on the eastern markets, and the competition 
with eastern bred stock, which has been steadily 
growing greater, has been crowding prices down at a 
very rapid rate. Whether he can continue this com- 
petition successfully, and if not, what he can do with 
his stock on hand, we will consider at length further 



The Present Situation. 

Few who have not investigated the subject care- 
fully, can fully appreciate the extent of the hotse 
breeding interests on the western ranges. In place 
of the scattering herds of Spanish and Indian ponies, 
comparatively few in number and poor in quality, the 
broad free pastures of the west are to-day grazing 
over one million horses of every conceivable size, age 
and breed. This immense number is divided amongst 
thousands of owners, from the poor farmer with his 
few colts, bred originally from his team of work mares, 
to the great stock company with thousands of brood 
mares and scores of the finest imported stallions. 
Even the merchant and mechanic are represented, 
many of the town dwellers having a few head of 
breeding stock ranging in the vicinity of their homes, 
looked after by a neighboring ranchman, or rounded 
up occasionally by the owner, at his leisure. 

But the great majority of the horses on the range 
to-day, are in bands of from one hundred to live hun- 
dred, owned by men whose sole occupation is their 
care and management. 



There is not more variety in the ownership of the 
component parts of this vast herd, than there is in 
the qnahty and breeding of the stock itself. Every- 
thing is represented, from the descendants of the native 
mustang, to the trotter and thoroughbred of royal 
lineage, the produce of stock brought to the mountains 
from Kentucky and other sections of the east. Nor 
is this great variety in si^e and breeding noticeable 
only in distinct herds. On almost every horse ranch 
that numbers its stock by the hundreds, can be found 
individuals ranging in quality from the Indian "cay- 
use" to the imported draft horse. This is one natural 
result of the suddenly awakened interest in horse 
breeding, where opinions as to what type or purpose 
to breed for were so diverse, or rather, where so many 
who embarked in the business had no well defined 
idea of breeding for any distinct type at all. 

It is a great heterogeneous mass, containing much 
that is good, more that is fairly so and a very great 
deal that is absolutely worthless, or worse, an actual 
encumbrance to the owner. 

As we have before said, the majority of breeders 
went into the business several years since, attracted 
by the great profits and comparative safety of the in- 
vestment. Almost without exception, their original 
stock was purchased at high figures, and in a great 
many instances, their herd as it stands to-day repre- 
sents their entire capital and the labor of several 
years; for, as a rule, the income from sales over and 



above what has been necessary for current expenses 
has been invested in stallions and other stock, in 
other words has been reinvested in the business. 

Necessarily living more or less remote from markets, 
and thus not realising that the value of common bus- 
iness horses has been steadily falling for the last three 
or four years, the past season with its uniformly re- 
duced returns from shipments, has brought home with 
crushing force to many breeders the fact that their 
ranch is no larger paying dividends, and still worse, 
that their original investment has depreciated in value 
alarmingly. 

To those who have kept thoroughly informed on 
the markets and other matters pertaining to range 
horse breeding, it seems singular that this condition 
of affairs should not be more widely known among 
those most interested, but no industry of such great 
extent was ever less organized than this. The cattle 
and sheep men have had their trade journals, but 
aside from an occasional article in one of these, the 
horseman has been able to learn only from experience, 
which to most has been a slow teacher. 

After the demand for cow-ponies had virtually be- 
come a thing of the past, there was still a limited 
home trade in horses of a better class, but the almost 
universal interest in horse raising which induced the 
farmer, the merchant and the mechanic to have each 
his own little band has practically closed the home 
market to the ranchman. True, it is still possible to 



sell an occasional horse at home for a fair price, but 
the breeder who can dispose of any considerable 
number in this manner is an exception. 

So the extreme east, that section which consumes 
more horses than are produced, is unquestionably the 
only market to which the western breeder can look, 
to take his surplus stock and in this field the ranch- 
man has been confronted with a market over-supplied 
with such horses as he had to offer, with prices pro- 
portionately low. 

To sum up: the condition of the range horse inter- 
est is, in our opinion, about as follows: — 

Of all the hundreds of thousands of horses on the 
western ranges, which represent millions of invested 
capital, a large proportion are worthless as a basis 
on which to build up an improved grade of stock. 
Through shrinkage in values from various causes, horses 
of all classes have depreciated and the poorer grades 
are worth less than half what they were a few 3'ears 
ago, yet sales are difficult to make even at the prevailing 
low figures. At these low prices they can be raised 
only at a loss; in fact the majority of breeders cannot 
but be losing money at present. While there are 
many thousand really good horses on the ranges, they 
are not in sufficiently good shape for market, to en- 
able them to compete on an equal footing with the 
increased output of eastern bred stock. 

With this condition of affairs generally understood, 
there is little wonder that the western horse breeders 



are, as a rule, depressed and despondent; that so many 
are anxious to get out of the business. It is merely 
repeating the history of similar periods in both cattle 
and sheep breeding. The same old story of everyoue 
rushing in when the industry is at the height of its 
prosperity, which tends to still further iniiate values 
and when the reaction comes, being just as anxious to 
rush out of it, which bears prices down yet lower. 
Ever\' intelligent breeder is fully aware that the present 
state of affairs is serious and that practically drifting 
along, as most have been doing will not turn the tide, 
toward prosperity. There must be some remedy, 
which even if it will not correct matters altogether, 
may prove of benefit to those who adopt it. 

As we stated in the introduction to this -little 
pamphlet, we do not advance our opinions as final 
and absolutely correct. What views we may submit, 
are based on extended experience and careful study of 
the matter, and we are honest in our belief as to 
their soundness, but no man is infallible and we may 
be entirely wrong. We have given our reasons in full 
and each of our readers has equal liberty of forming 
his own conclusions from them. One thing however 
is absolutely certain; effective thought and prompt 
action are needed to bring horse breeding in the 
extreme west back to its former prosperous condition. 



What Can Be Done. 

Our measure of success in any direction is, to a 
great extent, determined by our ability to anticipate 
the future and shape our actions to meet its require- 
ments. This we can only do by studying carefully 
both the present and past and endeavoring to form 
our judgment from what they teach. So-called luck 
may sometimes play its part, but it is a poor depend- 
ence. 

Applying this rule to the matter in hand, it must be 
evident to everyone that the present depression in 
horse breeding interests on the ranges has been large- 
ly caused from an over-production of poor stock. 
While depreciation in prices has contributed in a 
great measure to the result, horse breeders in every 
section of the country have also had this to contend 
with. The range horseman has suffered far more 
because the almost uniformly poor grade of his stock 
has made the inevitable competition with the eastern 
farmer so unequal. 

If this judgment be correct, the natural remedy that 
suggests itself is for the western breeder to raise few- 



er horses and breed them better. Whether this is the 
necessary move toward relief and, if so, whether it can 
be done successfully, are matters that those most in- 
terested must decide. 

We can best express our own opinion, by reproduc- 
ing here a letter written some weeks since, to a person- 
al friend who had asked us what we would advise him 
to do with his horses. His band numbers about 250 
head of all ages and sizes and is in quality about an 
average of range bred stock. Our reply was as fol- 
lows: — 

Dear : 

It i.s difficult for ii,s to reply definitely to your inquiries of 
recent date. We agree with you that the present situation is 
discouraging, but we have no better means of knowing what 
the future will bring forth than have you. You ask us what we 
would do were we in your situation, and this much we can tell 
you frankly; but thiuk the whole matter over carefully and 
decide it for yourself. Do not take our advice as final. 

In the tii"st place, fully one-half or more of your horses are 
practically worthless, at least to you, fo'r they are not fit to breed 
from. Fortunately, however, the eastern markets are not yet so 
bad but what they can be sold and you can realize something 
from them. Judging from your last seasons' shipment, these 
"culls" can be made to net you from •$1.') to $2.5 per head. So 
first:-and we cannot emphasize the importance of this point too 
much, cut your band down to the very "'tops" at the earliest 
possible moment. 

Every dollar you realize for your poor stock will be that much 
clear gain, for the day is coming and coming .soon when these 



S'criil) horses will not bring one dollar on the markets. Frankly, 
you know as well as ourselves that they are worthless except 
for cow-ponies, and the eastern people who are buying them at 
present are soon going to discover this fact also. When they do, 
you cannot give them away. 

Cut out everything that is not increasing in value, either in 
growth or breeding and do not leave a matured wild gelding or 
barren mare on the place. Such stock is not paying a profit, 
while you can use the money to far better advantage. Dispose 
of every superfluous or inferior animal you own, at the earliest 
moment that they can be made fit for market. 

We know that with your stock grazing on a free range and 
the cost of running five hundred but little more than that neces- 
sary to handle <me-fourth that number, it is difficult to see the 
wisdom of this cutting down, but we can say to you honestly 
and frankly that if you do not realize on your poorer stock at 
once, you never will. 

After pruning your band down to the quick, if you still wish 
to continue horse breeding as a business, we would advise you 
to select and reserve say fifty or sixty of your best mares. If 
you have not that many which are really good, cut even closer and 
buy enough to make up the number. Under no circumstances 
breed a mare that is not sound, young and fairly well-bred, be- 
sides having size and quality. Do not be afraid of getting 
them too good; j'ou cannot do it. 

Now comes a vital point and one that will, in a great measure, 
decide your future success or failure. Consider long and care- 
fully what type or kind of horse, will, in your judgment, sell 
best in the future. Right here a word of caution. Fight shy of 
trying to breed speed, either trotters or gallopers. If you should not 
get it, (and you have a hundred chances to one against you, with 
only common mares to breed from) your colts will be as a rule 



toosmall to liring much on the open market. Blood is of the great- 
est value, but a fast bred horse that cannot go fast enough is the 
poorest property on earth. 

It seems to us, that the most certain results in dollars can be 
had from breeding for a type of horse that will, if handsome and 
stylish enough.class as a coachcr. while if he falls short of this in 
quality and looks, will still be large enough for any class of 
work. This matter is of the greatest importance, so weigh every 
possibility carefully before deciding definitely. 

When you have settled this and made up your mind which of 
the best known and most firmly established breeds of horses will, 
in your opinion, produce what you want, buy the very best stal- 
liou of that breed you can find. Do not hesitate at a few dollars 
in price, tor the old rule that the best is always cheapest, is nev. 
er .so true as in an instance of this kind. The quality of this 
stallion will have everything to do with your ultimate success or 
failure. 

Another point — after selecting your type, stick to it. Do not 
breed draft horses one year, trotters the next and so on. There 
is a great distinction between grading, cross breeding and the 
mixture of half a dozen different breeds. A horse that comes 
from the indiscriminate mixture of several different distinct 
breeds, no matter how pure each may be, is just as much a mon- 
grel as the scrubbiest"broncho"that ever disappeared in a cloud 
of dust when you wanted him. 

Do not try to originate new breeds by theoretical crossing; 
you cannot aft'ord to try experiments of this sort. Select some 
old standard breed that has 'Stood the test of time and then use 
every effort to grade .your entire herd up to as near this stan- 
dard as possible. You will fi.nd that there is far more profit as 
well as pleasure in a small herd of good horses, than in a big band 
of scrubs that are actually not worth the free grass they eat. 



We have some ideas in regard to ranch management etc., 
which we will gladly discuss with yon when yoii'come east next 
summer. 

We have answered your inquiries as fully as possible .aud 
hope that you may find these suggestions of value, at least as 
food for thought. 

Very truly yours, 

T. H. Spaulding & Co. 

The above letter gives our views as fully as would 
a more elaborately written article. The opinions ad- 
vanced are subject to such criticism as the reader 
chooses to make. We only ask careful consideration 
before condemning; them altogether. 



The Future Outlook. 

What will actually occur of course no one can tell, 
but in this collection of our opinions on the western 
horse business, it may not be out of place for us to 
give our ideas of its probable future. 

At no time since the civil war have common busi- 
ness horses been so low all over the country as at 
present. But to offset this, it is an admitted fact that 
during the greater portion of this period, 
horses have been far higher in proportion than any 
other class of farm stock. So, while they are low 
at present, it is possible that they are only resum- 
ing their natural relative value. 

The demands caused by the growing development 
of the country at large would easily meet the greatly 
increased production of this class of stock, had the 
many inventions for saving horse power not multiplied 
so rapidly and it is this very matter, that is the great 
element of uncertainty in the future of horse breed- 

How soon steam and electricity will do away with 
horses altogether, exxept for purposes of pleasure 



only, is a question of vital interest to the horse breed- 
er. If the present rate of progress continues, it would 
certainly look as though practically this condition of 
affairs would be reached at no very distant date. While 
it is not likely to come during the life-time of those 
at present engaged in horse raising, yet the constant- 
ly increasing effect of this movement is a matter for 
grave consideration. 

There certainly is not at present and probably 
never has been, an over supply of really good horses. 
High class stock of all kinds, whether coachers, dri- 
vers or saddlers, is always scarce and high. More - 
over, the rapidly increasing wealth of the country is 
every day adding to the demand for these horses and 
we believe it will be a long time before they are a 
drug on the market. 

There is not the slightest doubt that none but the 
very best grade of horses can long be grown at a pro- 
fit. The days of the scrub are numbered. The coun- 
try already has more of this kind than can be used. 

Do not hold common horses for an advance in 
prices. It will never come. 



Can Horse Raising on the Range 
be made Profitable ? 

Taking into consideration the circumstances which 
at present govern horse raising throughout the coun- 
try, the matter of possible profit in range breeding is 
narrowed down to the one question. 

Can the ranchman compete with the eastern far- 
mer .' 

Theoretically, it would seem as though he could easily 
do so, providing he raises equally good stock. Per- 
haps the best method of arriving at an intelligent con- 
clusion, will be to compare the advantages of both. 

The strongest point in favor of the western breeder, 
is that his pasturage costs him practically nothing. 
While the farmer in the east must raise his colts on 
land that represents so many dollars invested, with 
corresponding demands for interest and ta.xes, the 
range breeder as a rule has to own only so much land 
as will produce his necessary hay, and even this the 
government has virtually given him. 

Again, the ranchman can graze his stock for 



nearly, if not quite the entire year, while the farmer 
must stable and feed his animals for at least five 
months, involving more expense for buildings, besides 
fodder and grain. 

Further, the ranchman can breed to better advan- 
tage than the farmer. With scores of brood mares, 
he can afford to own the finest stallions and breed 
his mares at far less proportionate cost than would be 
the case if he had to pay for the services of a horse. 
This gives him the profit of the stallioner as well as of 
the breeder. Owning his stallions, he can breed far 
closer to a certain standard type than can the farmer, 
who is often unable to secure the service of such a 
horse as he may desire. 

Another, apparent, advantage of the ranchman lies 
in the fact that he can handle a large number of hor- 
ses at a proportionately small expense for labor. 

Another point of great importance to the ranch 
owner is, that range bred horses are, as a rule less sub- 
ject to disease and to accidents, which so often ruin 
the selling value of a farmer's colt. 

With one last item we will have about covered the 
western breeders' side of the argument. This last 
point is the most important that can be advanced in 
favor of the range bred horse. Summed up briefly: 
a colt raised on the range has, size and breeding being 
equal, much better wind, better legs and feet and incom- 
parably more endurance than a farm bred colt. Why 
this is so, is so well-known to our readers that it is 



unnecessary to dwell further upon it. Suffice it to say, 
that we are using every effort and spending thousands 
of dollars in advertising every year, trying to do our 
share in convincing the eastern consumer of horses of 
the truth of this fact. The only way to permanently 
secure the practical benefits of these good qualities to 
the side of the ranchman, is to breed the range horse 
to equal the eastern colt in every other respect and 
his additional merits will, in time, settle the matter 
in his favor. 

The first and one of the greatest points of advan- 
tage which the farmer could claim, is that he does 
not raise horses as his sole means of livelihood. They 
are an incident of his general farming. He does not 
depend upon them to support his family. His brood 
mares more than earn their keep in working his farm, 
so the colts when foaled, have practically cost him 
only the stallion fees. 

If the farmer is a business man as well, he will ad- 
mit, that charging the colts with their proportion of 
interest and taxes, added to the feed necessary to 
winter them, they will have cost him considerable by 
the time they are three years old; but aside from a 
comparatively small amount of grain, winter feeding 
has been principally coarse fodder, which could not 
have been disposed of in any other manner. 

The farmers' next point and a very strong one 
is, that when his colts reach maturity, they are nearly, 
or quite, broken to work. Accustomed to being han- 



died from weanlings, he can work with them at odd 
times during their growth, until when old enough for 
service, he has very little trouble in training them 
thoroughly. More important still, it has not cost him 
anything, at least in money, for with no more help 
than he would necessarily employ on his farm, he can 
handle his colts when unable to do other work. On 
the other hand, when the ranchman breaks his colts 
for market, he has so many that he is obliged to em- 
ploy e.xtra labor, usually men skilled in their business, 
who demand and receive high wages. When break- 
ing his colts, the farmer can soon use them at light 
work which brings him some return, while the ranch- 
man, having no work of this kind to do, devotes his 
time and money to breaking the stock alone, getting 
no profit save in the fact of training the horses. More- 
over it takes real work to properly break a high spir- 
ited colt and more time than most breeders give to 
it. 

Ne.xt, if the argument were a personal one, the far- 
mer would triumphantly exclaim "the brand" and 
consider that as clinching the decision in his favor. 
It is useless to deny that the brand is one of the great- 
est disadvantages which the range breeder has to con- 
tend with, in eastern markets. While it is something 
that cannot be avoided — a necessary evil — yet the 
the intense prejudice that exists all over the east 
against it, makes it one of the strongest factors in the 
permanent success or failure of horse breeding on the 



range. This prejudice is not caused so much by the 
brand itself, although it is too often a great disfigure- 
ment, but it arises from the reputation that western 
branded horses have made in every section of the 
east where they have been sold. The first branded 
horses ever shipped to eastern markets were the 
scrubby Texas and Mexican ponies. Vicious, unreli- 
able and practically useless, they were never sold to 
the same man twice. The popular name for them 
was "mustangs" and it is difficult to convince a large 
proportion of eastern men to-day, that a standard and 
registered trotter is not a "mustang", if he happens to 
be branded. Many of the poorer grades of north- 
western horses have not helped to counteract this 
prejudice, although lately the really well bred stock, has 
done a great deal toward improving the reputation of 
western branded horses in the east. This unfavorable 
sentiment must be bred down. The good qualities 
of the improved stock must crowd out the memory of 
the "mustang." 

There is still another factor in the competition, that 
cuts a greater figure in the net returns from the sales 
of range stock than almost any other. Should the 
range breeder equal the efforts of the farmer in every 
particular, breeding just as good horses, having them just 
as thoroughly broken and selling them for the same 
prices, he must still raise them at a less cost of from 
$5 to $io per head, to realize an equal net profit on the 
ranch. This is the share exacted by the railroads for car- 



rying the stock to market, which is just so much great- 
er in the case of the ranchman than the western 
farmer, because of the longer haul. While these 
freight charges may and probably will in time be re- 
duced, yet the proportion will be always about the 
same. 

These are practically the most important points on 
both sides of this competition between the stock 
growers of the east and west, as they appear to us. 

We have not the space to build up a conclusion 
by an elaborate process of logic, considering each 
point, both pro and con, separately. With these fac- 
tors before him the reader can do that for himself. 
In truth, the whole question is one that each individ- 
ual who is interested must decide. 

Our own personal opinion is, that if a man can be 
satisfied with fair returns for his capital and labor in- 
vested, is willing to conduct a business of moderate 
extent, and desires to engage in a branch of stock 
raising where the dangers of loss from winters or dis- 
ease are reduced to a minimum, he will not be disap- 
pointed should he continue in horse breeding. One 
thing is certain, a very large percentage of profit will 
not be possible, and in fact the business must be con- 
ducted carefully and intelligently to insure any mar- 
gin of profit whatever. 

He must raise the very best grade of horses and 
handle them properly. To do this the number must 
be limited. Whv large bands of horses cannot be 



handled successfully on the ranges, is something that 
it is very difficult to explain. It is one of the things 
which, theoretically, are very simple, but in which the 
results have almost always been more or less disap- 
pointing. So far as we know, breeding horses by the 
wholesale has been a practical failure in the past 
and we believe it will always continue to be so. One 
reason for this undoubtedly is, that really first class 
stock can be bred only with careful attention to mat- 
ing etc. , which is impossible when the herd is too 
large. In addition, the uniformly poor results and 
great expense of trying to break horses on a large 
scale, has had much to do with the failure of the most 
pretentious of the horse ranch schemes. 

But there seems to be no reason why a ranchman, 
keeping no more horses than he can easily care for 
himself, with little outlay for labor, handling his herd 
properly and raising the very best and most salable 
stock, cannot derive a satisfactory income from his 
investment. 

But he cannot do this under the present system of 
handling horses on the range. A horse that will com- 
pare equally in every respect with the eastern bred 
animal, cannot be, or at least very rarely is, grown un- 
der the old plan, of allowing the stock to run wild 
throughout the year. To be really marketable, a 
horse must be thoroughl}' trained, and this is practically 
impossible, if he is allowed to exist as a wild animal 
until maturity. But our subject now comes to the 



ways and means of growing the right kind of a horse 
and we can cover this more thoroughly in a separate 
article. 

To repeat: — Horse growing on the range can be 
made profitable if the breeder raises less stock, breeds 
the best and handles them right. This involves a 
quick and radical change from the present system. 
Do you care to make this change.' If not, you had 
better get out of the business and that very soon, for 
you will only grow poorer every day that you continue 
to breed useless wild scrubs. 



Hints on Ranch Management. 

This is something which we are aware many of our 
readers will question our ability to discuss intelligent- 
ly. Many who will readily grant that our opinions and 
judgment on all things pertaining to the marketing of 
western horses in the east are correct, may consider 
that they are better posted on practical ranching than 
are we. 

To these critics we will only say that while we have 
had considerable personal experience in range breeding, 
we have also had exceptional opportunities for meet- 
ing a large number of the most intelligent breeders 
from every section of the west and discussing every 
phase of the business and its prospects with them. 
Nearly all that we have written in this little pamphlet, 
particularly this portion relating to ranch manage- 
ment, has been suggested by these discussions on this 
subject, with men who have made horse breeding on 
the range their sole occupation. They are advanced 
as suggestions only. Should anyone find in them any- 
thing that may prove of value, he is welcome. 

Before going further, it may be well to remark that 



no amount of theory, even if carried out to the letter, 
will make a success of horse breeding, or any other 
business, without shrewd, economical business man- 
agement to back it. But this is something entirely 
beyond the- province of advice. It is that nature- 
given quality which proves the good business man. 

The Management of Stallions. 

In no one thing in the history of horse breeding in 
the west, has there been shown more reckless waste, 
more shiftless management, than in the custom of al- 
lowing stallions to run at large with the mares 
throughout the entire season. Possibl}' the poor qual- 
ity of the stallions in general use, has not warranted 
the expense involved by any other plan, but that any 
sane business man should subject highly bred, valu- 
able horses to this treatment, passes comprehension. 

Turning the stallion loose may save some expense 
for feed and certainly a great deal of labor, but what 
is actually lost to offset this .' 

A stallion running at large will not get one-half the 
colts he would, were he kept up and not allowed to 
waste his powers in serving mares unnecessarily. 
What colts he does sire will not be nearly so strong 
and vigorous, because of the lack of vitality in the 
horse. A pure bred stallion, imported as most of 
them must be from the east, has, all his life, been ac- 
customed to grain feeding: and careful attention. Turn 



him loose on the range, with only grass as food, at the 
very season when there is the greatest strain upon his 
vitality, with uncurbed liberty to his appetite, how 
can he be expected to get any number of colts, or to 
give such colts as he does sire, the sturdiness and spir- 
it which they should by right inherit.' 

If the range breeder intends to successfully raise 
horses to compete with the eastern farmer, he must 
adopt a great many of the eastern farmers" methods, in 
place of the easy plan he has been pursuing. Leav- 
ing both the great possibility of accident and injury to 
a valuable horse, and also the fact that his neighbor 
has almost an equal chance in the benefit with 
the owner, entirely out of the question, the greatest 
number and the best colts, can only be secured by 
keeping up the stallion throughout the year and car- 
ing for him properly. 

Some of our readers may think it unnecessarj' to 
dwell so long on this point, but there are still many 
breeders so short-sighted, that they are treating their 
stallions the same as, or even worse than they would 
range bulls. 

Keep the stallion in a roomy box stable and 
as he needs exercise, give him free access to a strong 
corral where he can come and go at will. If his dis- 
position will admit it, (and don't breed from a horse 
that it will not) work him on the ranch, except during 
the actual breeding season. During the breeding 
season, feed liberally to keep him in the very highest 



condition, (which, by the way, does not mean fat) for 
on this depends his prepotency, that power of trans- 
mitting his good quahties to his colts. 

How frequently a stallion can be bred, depends to a 
great extent oij the individual. The rule among 
most successful breeders, is not to allow the stallion 
to serve more than two mares each day and some 
prefer that he be limited to one. 

The number of mares that can be bred to a single 
stallion, is a point upon which authorities differ great- 
ly. However, the consensus of opinion seems to be, 
that the best results can be secured by allowing from 
50 to 65 to a matured stallion, if in good condition 
and in perfect health. 

Care should be taken in another important particu- 
lar. Nothing is easier than to ruin the temper of a 
highly bred horse by teasing and careless handling, 
making him vicious, obstinate and often actually dan- 
gerous. Aside from the trouble involved to the breed- 
er in using him, this will have a pronounced financial 
effect upon his value in two way€. He will almost sure- 
ly transmit his temper in a greater or less degree to- 
gether with other qualities, to his colts; and should 
the ranchman at any future time wish to sell him, his 
market value will be greatly depreciated. So, han- 
dle the stallion firmly, never allowing him to forget 
that he has a master, although under no circum- 
a,„.._-,.^ abuse him, for unnece.ssary cruelty, will just as 



certainly cause a high spirited stallion to become ugly, 
as will teasing. 

It is too often the case that a first-class stallion, 
while given a comfortable stable and ample exer- 
cise, is utterly neglected as to grooming. Simply 
because there is not someone to admire his sleek coat 
and fine condition, it does not pay to neglect that 
regular care and attention, which is so necessary to keep 
a stallion in really good form. One cannot afford to 
treat a valuable stallion the same as a scrub "bron- 
cho." 

Never feed a stallion drugs or nostrums with the 
foolish idea that it will increase his powers as a foal 
getter. Good clean grain and hay, with plenty of 
pure water, is all that a healthy horse requires. 
While oats are the standard and undoubtedly the best 
steady food, an occasional change to other grain, will 
be appreciated. A horse likes variety in his rations 
as much as does his owner. It should be unnecessary to 
mention that a supply of salt, placed where the horse 
can constantly have easj' access to it, is a prime 
requisite to good health. 

Breeding. 

Probably the most important problem that con- 
fronts the ranchman who is changing from open range 
breeding to the sj'stem we are advocating, is how to 
breed his wild mares with his stallion stabled. 

There are several plans of doing this, each having 



many earnest supporters. They all require how- 
ever, that the brood mares should be gathered at the 
beginning of the breeding season, separating from 
them as far as possible, the growing colts and geld- 
ings. This saves the young stock from much worry 
and liability to accident, m the constant handling, 
which breeding the mares makes necessary. It also 
relieves the brood mares and sucking colts from the 
often unwelcome attentions of the young geldings. 

The brood mares when gathered, must necessarily 
be either herded or pastured in the vicinity of the 
ranch, if the stallion is kept in the stable for even 
a portion of the time. 

The custom of many breeders, is to turn the stallion 
loose among the mares during the day, stabling and 
feeding him every night. But this, in our opinion, is 
open to two objections:— first, that the stallion will 
exhaust his vitality, serving the same mares several 
times unnecessarily, and second, the danger of acci- 
dents, which is of prime importance when even a 
slight kick may ruin a horse that has cost his owner 
several hundred dollars. 

Another plan, which is growing very popular on the 
ranges, is to keep the stallion in his stable, driving a 
small band of brood mares into an adjoining corral, 
and after determining those that are in season, turn- 
ing him among them; first removing such of the mares 
as may give no indications of requiring his services. 
After covering a mare, the stallion can be easily sepa- 



rated and driven to his own corral. This we consider 
by far the best plan in general use, as it reduces the 
wear on the stallion to the minimum. 

But the range breeder can take one more step 
toward eastern customs. We sincerely believe that 
the ranchman can secure the very best results, only by 
breaking his brood mares to halter and accustoming 
them to being handled. Without question he will be 
benefited in at least two ways. It will save time and 
labor in breeding, besides reducing the chances of in- 
jury to his stallion, while it will have a pronounced 
effect upon the nature and disposition of the colts. 

The laws of heredity are inflexible, and "bred in 
the bone," applies just as forcibly to disposition and 
temper as it does to size and spirit. It stands to reason 
that a foal from a comparatively gentle, docile mare, 
will be more easily handled and trained, than one 
from a wild beast, whose only idea of man has 
been a creature from whom to fl}-. 

Just as certain as fate, the horse ranchman of 
the future must breed civilized horses, not wild ones, 
if he wishes his business to prove profitable. The 
surest method of getting clever horses is to breed 
them clever. You may manufacture them from wild 
ones, but it is difficult and expensive to say the least. 
Besides, experience has shown that it is decidedly 
uncertain. Therefore, we are confident the breeder 
who takes the trouble to gentle his brood mares, will 
get ample returns when he comes to handle even the 



first crop of colts from them, to say nothing of the 
effect upon succeeding generations, should the plan 
be followed up. 

Care of Young Stock. 

The same principal that makes it advisable to han- 
dle brood mares, applies equally to young colts. 
What use is there in breeding from a gentle dam, if the 
colt be allowed to grow to maturity, wild as the deer.^ 
What docility he may have inherited will certainly be 
lost. 

There is a vast difference between halter break- 
ing a weanling, and endeavoring to subdue the 
same colt when fully matured, and abundantly able 
to resist the restraint, for which his free life on the 
range has taught him to ha\e a deep hatred. Every 
experienced breeder will testify to the lasting memory 
of a horse. Once halter broken, he never forgets it. 
He may fight to the limit of his powers against 
again being made captive, but when once securely 
haltered, he will surrender quietly, if he has ever be- 
fore been thoroughly taught that man is his mas- 
ter. 

It would seem unnecessary to urge on breeders the 
great benefit that they can derive by breaking to 
halter every colt that they produce, but as a matter 
of fact, not one ranchman in one hundred is doing it 
to-day. 

Another advantage to be gained from this is that 



it necessarily involves weaning the colt from his 
dam. The benefit of weaning can best be made 
clear, by stating that the highest veterinary authori- 
ties have long since decided, that the colt derives no 
real nourishment whatever, from his mother's milk 
after he is six months old. At the same time, if the 
mare be in foal again, she is suffering from a double 
drain upon her vitality. She is trying to nourish the 
colt by her side and at the same time she must sup- 
ply the demands of the one forming within her. 
What she gives to one, she must take from the other, 
as she has only so much to give, and in this case it is 
the unborn colt that suffers, as veil as the dam, while 
the suckling does not gain any material benefit. 

The future size and quality of a colt depend on the 
condition of his dam and his corresponding de\elop- 
ment before birth. 

Moreover, every breeder knows, that almost uni- 
lormly the greatest winter loss is among mares that 
become so thin from suckling, that they cannot with- 
stand the severe weather and scanty feed. By wean- 
ing her colt at six months old, the mare can get in 
good condition to go through the winter, and bring 
forth in the spring a stronger, and in every way bet- 
ter colt, than if she has been struggling along trying 
to support two lives besides her own. 

But the reader will say at once, "this involves feed- 
ing the colts through the first winter." Certainly it does 
and the breeder can make no investment that will 



bring greater returns. Next to suckled down mares, 
the largest percentage of loss among range horses is 
in the weanlings. Every ranchman knows how sel- 
dom the number of yearlings corresponds with the 
colts branded the previous season. Weaning the 
colts saves this loss, and there is nothing gained in 
breeding good colts, and lettingthem die the first winter. 
Further, it gives ample opportunity to thoroughly 
halter break and accustom the little fellows to being 
handled, a lesson they will never forget. 

Best of all, liberal feeding the first winter will keep 
the colt growing steadily, at this very critical period 
of his life. Without question, the deterioration in size 
of horses on the range, is largely caused by the winter 
hardships setting back their growth, in other words, 
stunting them. If kept strong and growing, through 
the first season, they will be far better able to with- 
stand the rigors of subsequent winters and, in the 
end, develop into much larger and smoother horses. 
So the ranchman can easily get three very apparent 
and profitable benefits, from winter feeding his wean- 
lings. 

The western breeder has one great blessing which 
he does not always fully appreciate. This is the 
quality of his hay. Good clean mountain hay alone, 
will keep his colts fat and growthy, without using any 
grain. However, several ranchmen of our acquaint- 
ance have tried feeding their weanling colts on sheaf 
oats, with e.xcellent success. Our critical friends will 



probably raise the objection, that this feeding will 
make it necessary for them to become "grangers." 
Nothing is more sure, than that the days of the old 
easy range system are past, and that the combined 
farmer and stock raiser is the coming man in the ex- 
treme west. 

Branding. 

While the brand is a great injury to the sale of 
western horses no matter how good, in the eastern 
market, yet the evil can be mitigated to some extent, 
by making the brand as small and inconspicuous as 
possible. The large, ugly brands used by so many 
breeders are entirely unnecessary and invariably take 
just so many dollars off the price of the horse, when 
it is sold. 

It is not easy to determine on just what part of the 
animal, it is best to burn the brand. It will, of 
course, be entirely out of sight when on the neck, 
under the mane, but at the same time, it is useless to 
the breeder as a means of identifying his stock. 

In our judgment, the requirements of the eastern 
markets and necessities of the breeder can be easiest 
met, by burning a very light brand, either on the 
right"'shoulder, or on the left stifle as far down toward 
the hock joint as possible. 

Under no circumstances brand a horse anywhere 
about the head. We know the idea that it is best 
to brand on the cheek, where it \yill be covered by 



the side piece of the bridle, is very general; but it can 
seldom, if ever, be thus concealed when selling the 
animal, and any disfigurement of a horse's head or 
face, seems to be more disliked by eastern buyers, 
than if it were in any other place. 

More than one brand on the same animal is an 
added detriment. Brand the colt only once, and 
have that as plain, simple and above all, as small 
and light as possible. 

Castrating. 

Hundreds of good colts are lost in the west every 
year through ignorant, careless, or brutal methods of 
performing this necessary operation. Even when 
done as skilfully as possible, it necessarily entails 
great suffering on the colt; but why so many breeders 
not only aggravate the colt's agony, but still more im- 
portant to them, jeopardize the life of an animal that 
represents to them just so much money, it is difficult 
to understand. Financial reasons, to say nothing of 
humanitarian ones, should cause them to use ever}' 
effort that would add to the quickness, painlessness 
and safety of the operation. 

There are several methods in vogue among western 
breeders, from simply slashing out the colt's testicles 
with a knife and turning him loose, to live, or bleed to 
death, as Providence wills, to an elaborate process of 
clamps, etc. 

However, it would seem as though the ranchman 



could profitably adopt the very best of everything 

connected with his business, particularly when the 
cost is comparatively light. 

The almost universal method among the veterinary 
surgeons in the east, is to perform this operation with 
an ccrascur, an instrument especially designed for the 
purpose, which severs the cord and at the same time 
closes the arteries, thus preventing excessive bleeding. 
An amateur can use it with precisely as good results 
as a professional veterinary. In fact it is even more 
simple than the knife. There are several different 
styles and makes of these instruments, which can be 
secured from any dealer in horse goods. 

Do not mistake what we say on this subject as 
being an advertisement for some particular surgical 
instrument. It is simply in the line of our other sugges- 
tions. We consider it, from practical experience, an im- 
provement that reduces the chance of loss in altering 
young stallions, and it certainly does not pay to breed 
good colts and then kill them. 

The proper time for castrating colts, is something 
best determined by the individual and the circum- 
stances. It would undoubtedly be an excellent plan 
to allow some colts, particularly those whose con- 
formation is slim and angular, to run entire, until 
nearly or quite two years old, thus giving them a 
chance to grow rounder and smoother. But, as the 
range breeder must necessarily allow his herd to mix 
indiscriminately, it is not best to take the chances of 



the young stallions getting his mares with foal. Catch 
colts are not profitable. So he must, as a rule, alter 
all his colts during the yearling season. 

Another point — it is the common practice among 
western breeders, to cut off the last two or three joints 
in a colt's tail, when castrating him. Don't do it. 
One of the strong points in the selling value of a 
horse is a handsome, full tail. Banged tails may be 
more or less fashionable, but the buyers want to cut 
them off to suit themselves. 

While these few hints do not, by any means, cover 
the entire subject of horse breeding, still they are 
among the main points. As we said in the begin- 
ning of the chapter, they are given as suggestions 
only. If the reader does not agree with us, he has an 
equal right to opinions of his own. 



Mul 



Raising. 



The spirit of inquiry as to the probable success of 
mule raising on the range, seems quite general among 
breeders in every portion of the west. 

At first glance, it would seem that there is much 
surer, as well as larger, profit in breeding mules, than 
horses. 

The market for mules has always been steady, so much 
so, that they are nearly as staple as cattle. Mules of a 
certain class, are always worth about a certain price, 
while on the other hand, nothing varies so much in sell- 
ing value, as horses. And mules can be sold much more 
readily than horses. Shipped to St. Louis, Memphis, 
Atlanta, or any other of the prominent mule mark- 
ets, they can usually be quickly disposed of, at whole- 
sale, for fair prices. Nor is it necessary to have them 
broken. 

All these advantages, would be more than sufificient 
to convince the ranchman that he could not possibly 
do better than to raise mules, were it not for the fact 
that it is, as yet, doubtful whether they can be bred 
successfully on the ranges. 



We have in mind a few instances, particularly one 
Montana breeder, who has made an unquahfied suc- 
cess of mule raising. In these few cases, there 
seems to be no difficulty in getting a good percentage 
of colts and raising stock of fair quality. But none 
the less distinct, are the many instances that have 
come to our knowledge, where, starting with every- 
thing apparently favorable, the experiment has proved 
a dismal failure. Further, it is difficult to assign a 
reason for such disaster. One probable cause, has 
been the lack of thorough practical knowledge of 
mule breeding, as differing from horse raising, on the 
part of the experimenter. There is undoubtedly a 
certain amount of practical experience necessary, 
such as properly caring for jacks, etc., but never hav- 
ing engaged in this branch of breeding ourselves, we 
are not qualified to advise intelligently. 

One point we have, however, investigated fully. 
With the idea of engaging in the business ourselves, 
we took occasion some months since, to carefully look 
over the probable market for range bred mules, and 
to ascertain if possible, what class of stock would 
bring the most profitable returns. The substance of 
the information given us by the most prominent mule 
dealers in the country, when interviewed, is, that the 
few range mules now marketed, are "too small, 
not fat enough and have that horrible brand," all of 
which prevent their bringing the prices they should. 

Taking the objections in the order given, the infer- 



ior size can come from two possible causes. The 
parent stock may be inferior, or, since mules are by 
nature a "warm weather animal," they will not devel- 
op properly when obliged to pick their living on the 
range; winter cold and starvation stunts their growth. 
This may or may not be the case, but the fact that 
the Kentucky breeder feeds his young mules liberally 
from the time they are weaned, in place of allowing 
them to subsist entirely on even his splendid blue 
grass pastures, would tend to prove its truth. 

The matter of breeding from good stock is some- 
thing far more easily regulated. There are thousands 
of mares on the ranges, that would make first-class 
brood mares for mule raising. In fact, we sold sev- 
eral hundred such, during the past season, to mule 
breeders in Kentucky, who bought them for this pur- 
pose alone. But they will not produce good mules, 
if coupled with some little, worthless, jack rabbit of 
a jack. "Like begets like" and such a jack is not 
much more liable to sire a good "sugar" mule, than 
he is to get a race horse. The next objection of the 
trade, is the poor condition of the western stock when 
marketed. As most who are interested in the subject 
know, the mule market is at its best, during the late 
winter and early spring. This comes from the fact 
that the great consumption of mules is in the cotton 
and sugar growing sections of the extreme south, and 
it is at this season that the needed fresh supply of 
stock is purchased. It is obviously impossible to get 



stock off the rang'e at this season, thoroughly fat and 
sleek. Therefore, some system of feeding for mark- 
et is necessary, in order to compete with the eastern 
breeder, who fattens his mules for market much the 
same as he does cattle. 

Again comes that great difficulty of western 
breeders of every kind of stock — the brand. As in 
the case of horses, we can only say, make it small 
and light. 

During the course of our investigation of this sub- 
ject, several extensive mule dealers made us a sugges- 
tion that seemed at the time, and we still believe, 
capable of being made profitable. It was, to breed 
the very best mules possible and ship them to Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee or Missouri when i>.'C(iii/iiigs, say at 
si.\ months old. To make this idea perfectly clear to 
all our readers, it may be necessary to e.xplain briefly 
the system under which mules are generally raised, 
in those sections where their production is made a 
specialty. 

As a rule, the mules are bred by farmers owning 
only a few mares, which they work during the greater 
portion of the year. When weanlings, the mules are 
bought up by parties who make a business of growing 
them in considerable numbers, picking them up here 
and there around the country. Sometimes the mules 
again change hands, being bought by the "feeder" 
when nearly old enough for market, and are systemati- 
cally fattened and gotten in the very best sale con- 



dition by him. They are then usually sold at one of 
the few great mule markets, to a trader who takes 
them south and retails them to the actual consumer, 
the planter. 

The opinion of those experienced men, who sug- 
gested shipping the western bred mules as weanlings, 
was, that if bred from equally good stock, they should 
and probably would bring as good prices as the na- 
tive colts. 

As nearl}' as we can learn, weanling mules have 
brought in Kentucky and Tennessee during the past 
two or three years, from $40 to $80 per head. The 
latter figure is, of course, an exceptional price for a 
very choice colt only, but if our information is correct, 
an average price of $50 is not far out of the way. 
At this figure there would certainly be a good margin 
of profit in breeding them, providing one could secure 
a fair percentage of colts. The cost of shipment 
would be comparatively light, since a large number of 
the little animals could be loaded in a car. 

We are not prepared to advocate and do not wish 
to be understood as arguing, either for or against the 
scheme. We have simply reproduced it as it was 
given us. The data quoted we believe to be correct, 
but as to whether the prices for mules, big or little, 
will continue to be as good during the next few years 
as they are at present, we cannot advance even an 
opinion. 

There certainly seems to be no reason why with 



equally good mares and jacks, as good a mule cannot 
be bred in Wyoming or Montana, as in Kentucky or 
Missouri. A really good jack cannot be had for a 
small price, and we believe there are many points to 
be studied carefully, when investing in one. Chief 
among these, are the quality of his colts, (the jack's 
personal appearance is not always a sure criterion of 
this) and his readiness in serving mares. The pur- 
chaser can, however, easily satisfj" himself regarding 
these most important elements in the jack's value, if 
he purchases one that is old enough to have done ser- 
vice the previous season. 

The mares must also be well haltered and gentle 
enough to breed by hand; but we consider this an ad- 
vantage in horse breeding as well. 

Possibly by winter feeding, the mules could be 
raised to maturity on the ranch, and develop size and 
symmetry equal to the Kentucky animal. As we 
said in the beginning of this article, we know a few 
breeders who have been, and are now raising fairly 
good mules on the range, handling them almost pre- 
sisely the same as they do their horses. 

A final word of caution — don't raise poor mules. 
The market for little, scrubby mules, is just as bad as 
it is for poor horses. Even the cotton planters, who 
formerly used large numbers of these small mules, are 
insisting on having a better grade of stock. If you 
raise mules at all, raise good ones. Breed the best. 
Produce something that is wanted and you will get 



your price for it. Raise something that no one wants, 
and you cannot give it away. 

We are aware that our article on mule breeding is 
hardly complete, but we will not advance any theor- 
ies that have not been proven by practice. If any of 
our readers should desire more definite information 
regarding markets, etc., we will gladly do all in our 
power to aid them in securing it by correspondence. 



Breaking Western Horses for 
Market. 

Almost every day throughout the entire year, we re- 
ceive this inquiry from western breeders: — "Shall I 
break my horses before shipping them ? " Invariably 
our answer is, under no circiiuistances endeavor to 
break horses wliieh yon intend to market this season. 

Such of our readers as have received our circulars 
etc., in the past, may say that we are going squarely 
back on what we have heretofore advised on this sub- 
ject; particularly in the little pamphlet on the range 
horse market, published in 1890. On the contrary, 
we have not receded from the theory then advocated, 
but have simply found it impracticable to carry out 
profitably. 

Of the hundreds and thousands of western 
horses shipped to us as broken, during the past two 
years, hardly one per cent of them have proved fit 
to be offered as thoroughly gentle to all harness. 

Horses sold on the eastern markets as trained to 
harness, must prove that they are such, before the 
buyer will take them. Everjthing must be positively 



guaranteed. If we sell a western horse as well bro- 
ken, and when tried, he shows the slightest indication 
of not being perfectly used to his work, the buyer re- 
jects him instantly, and the horse will not then bring 
any more than he would had he never been han- 
dled at all. Too many breeders have the idea that 
they can sell as broken, horses that have been driven 
a few times, in fact, just well bitted. Such animals 
are only ready to begin their real education. Neither 
will a horse that drives fairly gentle, but that has not 
been taught to carry his head or handle his feet prop- 
erly, sell for much of anything in the east; in fact, 
not as much as he would bring wild. 

There are many ranchmen, who do not understand 
what is really required, to make a horse grade as well 
broken, on the open market. Besides being clever, and 
perfectly taught to respond to every motion of the bit, 
he must carry himself well in every way, head up, 
good action, if a road horse or coacher, and a strong 
steady puller, if a work animal; stand quietly when 
hitched, either on the street or in the stable, and be 
clever and gentle to handle when harnessing etc. It 
is unnecessary to mention, that ugly traits of temper 
will surely injure or ruin his sale. 

All this cannot be taught a horse in a day, or a 
week, or a month. It takes months of steady work 
and infinite patience, even when a colt has been ac- 
customed to being handled from a weanling. How 
much more difficult is it then, when the colt has 



grown up wild and absolutely free from restraint. 
With all this natural fear to overcome, before even the 
rudiments of the horses education can be taught, and 
with the ever-present possibility that this old wild 
spirit will crop out at any time, there cannot be any 
certainty of breaking the colt, except at a cost of time 
and labor, that leaves very small chance for profit. 

Do not misunderstand us as saying, that horses 
raised wild on the range until three or four years old, 
cannot be broken. They can be and thousands are 
well broken every year. But we do claim, that the 
ranchman cannot profitably spend the required time 
and actual cash outlay, necessary to properly break 
any number of matured geldings. He will not get 
the expenditure back, in the added prices the stock 
will bring, over what he could get for them wild. 
Having seen this fact proved many times during the 
the past two seasons, is the only reason of our change 
of opinion as stated. Our advice to the breeder who 
has stock to market this season, is to send them for- 
ward just as soon as they are thoroughly fat, without 
attempting to handle them in any wa}'. Put in the 
time breaking your yearlings and two year olds. 

It is practically impossible to market horses the 
same year they are broken. The work and worry 
prevents their keeping in good flesh, which they must 
have to sell well, unless fed on grain, which is usual- 
ly too expensive. Break the range colts as the east- 
ern farmer does. Accustom them to halter when 



weanlings, teach them more the next year, still new 
lessons the next, and finally at three's, finish them up. 
Then they can be shipped the following season, and 
with a little hardening, will be in first-class shape to 
sell. 

Another very important point which many do not 
appreciate, is that only a small proportion of the ma- 
tured stock on the range to-day, is worth breaking at 
all. Unless of good size, smooth and fairly good look- 
ing, a horse will not repay the expense of training 
him. A small or rough animal will not bring a cent 
more broken, than he will bring wild; in fact not so 
much. When totally unbroken, he looks better to 
these eastern buyers who invest in this class of stock. 
They are obliged to view him from a distance and 
he looks larger. If you do break matured horses, 
break only the very best, and sell the others as they 
run. 

Further, never ship well broken and wild horses in 
the same consignment. To derive any benefit from 
the broken stock, it must be removed from the incu- 
bus of bad company, and besides, the market for this 
kind is entirely separate from that for wild and half 
broken animals. 

We cannot attempt to give even a few of the hun- 
dreds of different methods of breaking colts. Almost 
every experienced breeder has his own plan of doing 
this, and it is not so much the means, as the result 
that is of importance. Kindness, which does not by 



any means imply lack of firmness, is the prime requi- 
site for successful horse breaking. Proceed slowly; 
teach the colt one thing only at a time. One 
lesson thoroughly learned, is far more satisfactory in 
the end, than confusing the colt with a jumble of half 
a dozen, which he does not understand. 

Do not raise horses that it ivill not pay to break, 
and hcgitt their education at six months old. 

Halter Breaking. 

This is another matter upon which we hold a differ- 
ent opinion than formerly. Actual results convinced 
us last season, that as a rule, halter breaking does 
not add sufficiently to the selling value of a horse, to 
warrant the expenditure and chances of accident, 
which it involves. 

Particularly, do not break horses to halter, that 
you wish to dispose of this season. The worry is 
bound to cut down their condition, and flesh is every- 
thing in their sale. 

While the fact that a horse can be shown to work 
cleverly to halter, may occasionally enhance his val- 
ue, yet, if he is sold to do this, and when caught for 
delivery acts more or less wild, (as most of them do,) 
the sale is ruined. If buyers get the idea 
that an animal has been spoiled, it will be difficult to 
sell him at any price. 

Taking everything into consideration, we do not 
believe the breeder will find that it will pay him, 



should he break his horses to lead only, before mar- 
keting them. As we said before, the time can be 
spent to much better advantage working with the 
vounger stock. 



Markets and Marketing. 

This is unquestionably tlie most pressing and im- 
portant problem that occupies the minds of western 
horse breeders at the present time. The matured 
stock on hand must be converted into money for pres- 
ent needs. While the future must also be considered, 
the obligations of to-morrow must be met first. 

The question as to what field the ranchman can 
look to take his stock, has been covered in the pre- 
vious pages, so it is unnecessary to repeat it. We do 
not think, in stating that the extreme east is the 
western breeders only outlet, we advanced an opinion 
which is not generally believed. All ranchmen are as 
fully aware as ourselves, that the home market or 
the extreme western farming section cannot be de- 
pended upon to take any quantity of horses at living 
prices. 

It is a vain hope to bold marketable stock on 
the ranch, trusting to make a sale to the eastern 
speculators, who formerly operated so largely in west- 
ern horses. Prices declined in the east before they 
did on the ranges, and the unsatisfactory results of 



later years, have effectually eliminated the speculator 
as a feature in the range horse trade. 

To make a cash sale of his horses, the ranchman 
must ship them himself. The sooner he appreciates 
this, the more money he will get for them. He must 
come to it sooner or later. If later, they will not be 
worth so much as they are now. When starting out 
to seek a market, the range breeder finds himself con- 
fronted with many difficulties. 

With cattle, there are certain recognized markets, 
where any number, of any grade, can be sold at any 
time for a more or less fixed price. For broken, un- 
branded, native raised horses, Chicago, St. Louis and 
Buffalo are the great centers of the trade, and values 
are practically standard. 

But there is no central market for unbroken west- 
ern stock; no point to which the breeder can ship 
them, certain of finding a buyer for his whole consign- 
ment, at a fair price. Wholesaling western horses 
has never proved a success. Dealers who will handle 
them at all are scarce, and the few who will buy them 
in any quantity, will not pay the breeder anywhere 
near what the stock is worth. Eastern traders pre- 
fer to handle native, broken horses, as they are more 
staple and easier to sell. 

The only way in which western horses can be dis- 
posed of, so as to realize anything like fair value for 
them, is at retail, direct to the consumer. In other 



words, the ranchman must hunt his market, selHng 
his stock where and to whom he can. 

If the sweeping statement, that the east viz: those 
states lying east of the Mississippi, is the best and 
only market for these horses, applied equally to each 
and every part of that vast territory, the western 
breeder would have little trouble in placing his horses. 
Unfortunatel}-, however, it does not. In calling that 
the best market, we mean that it is that portion of the 
country which coiisiniics the greatest number of horses 
of all classes, and that different points within that 
territory, will pay the highest figures for unbroken, 
branded horses, that can be secured anywhere in the 
United States. To be successful in disposing of his 
horses, the ranchman must strike these markets. 

Without an actual knowledge of the field, he is 
obliged to determine his objective point at random. 
He may place his stock in a town, where a large num- 
ber of the same class of horses have been sold just 
previous to his arrival. Should this be the case, he 
will find it practically impossible to dispose of his 
shipment, unless at ruinous prices. There are only a 
certain number of persons in every community, who 
will buy these horses at any figure. With this de- 
mand once supplied, the market at that point is closed 
until another season. Again, the ranchman may have 
the ill luck to strike a section of country, where the 
prejudice against western branded horses is so strong, 
that he can hardly give them nway. Unfortunately. 



these places e.xist, indeed, are only too common. 
Further, we advise the intending shipper to beware 
of a town, where the street car system has recently 
been changed from horses to cable or electric power. 
In every instance of this kind, large numbers of street 
car horses have been closed out regardless of value, 
and the demand for cheap stock has been more than 
supplied for months to come. Still worse, these 
slaughter sales have fixed the standard of prices too 
low for anyone, but a great corporation, to stand. 
All these points are of vital importance, in deciding as 
to the availability of any locality as a market. They 
mean quick or slow sales, low or good prices. 

When a town is located, that has every indication 
of proving a satisfactory place to dispose of the ship- 
ment, it must be worked up in order to sell the stock 
quickly. The horses cannot be sold unless the buy- 
ers can be gotten to look at them. This means ad- 
vertising, and advertising has become a science. To 
be effective, it must be thorough, novel and at- 
tractive. It is expensive, but nothing can be done 
without it. A few years ago, the arrival of a shipment 
of western horses in any eastern town was soon 
noised abroad and buyers fairly fell over one another, 
to get their share before the stock was closed out. 
It is different now. The buyers must be coaxed to 
come. They must be made to believe the horses arc 
a good investriient. 

When possible buyers are secured, then comes the 



test of the shipper's ability as a salesman; to get every 
dollar that can be, had for his stock, and yet to sell 
them. It costs money, and a great deal of it, to hold 
horses in the east. The shipper must know what his 
stock is worth on the market, when to take an offer, 
and when to refuse one, in order to get all that the 
horses can be made to bring. 

We have given as briefly as possible, the substance 
of what we know about marketing this stock. Our 
experience has extended over several years, during 
which time we have sold more western branded 
horses than any firm in the country. We have sold 
them from Kansas to New York, from Maine to 
Georgia, at wholesale, at retail, at auction, in fact 
tried every experiment that could be thought of, to 
determine definitely just how, where and when they 
could be sold, to bring the most net money on the 
ranch. 

The points mentioned are the ones we have found 
absolutely essential, to secure satisfactory results 
from shipments of these horses. They cover every 
necessary particular. We have no secret method of 
selling the horses consigned to us. We simply select 
the most promising markets and i^'ork them for all 
they are worth. 

If the ranchman can himself control all the re- 
quirements necessary to place his stock to the best 
advantage, viz: if he knows just where to ship them, 
how to work up his market to secure buyers, knows 



the highest dollar those buyers can be made to give 
when he gets them, we can not be of service to him. 
But those breeders who are not certain of these things, 
and cannot afford to try expensive experiments, we 
ask to read carefully what we have to say, regarding 
our system of placing this stock. We know the mar- 
kets, and have the means of selling your horses satis- 
factorally. We will place our knowledge, experience 
and facilities at your service if you desire them. 

Southern Markets. 

There seems to be a general interest among west- 
ern breeders, as to the markets in the extreme 
south, so definite information regarding them may 
prove acceptable to our readers. 

In our opinion, that section of the country cannot 
be depended on, as a certain and profitable field for 
range-bred horses, for several reasons. 

Mules are the main dependence of the farmers and 
planters, the only grade of horses for which there is 
any demand whatever, being smooth, blocky mares. 

Another great objection is, that the trade in both 
horses and mules throughout the entire south, is con- 
trolled by regular dealers or traders. Crops are un- 
certain, and almost invariably the planter is obliged 
to purchase his necessary work stock on credit This 
shuts out the ranchman from the retail trade, and the 
regular dealers, being obliged to make a sufficient mar- 
gin of profit on their sales to pay them to wait a year 



for their money, can seldom afford to pay the west- 
ern breeder a fair price for his horses. This credit 
sj'stem has resulted in each local dealer having his 
certain line of customers, who will buy of him and no 
one else. Even in good seasons, when money is 
plenty, the ranchman would have difficulty in com- 
peting with him or his own ground. 

Lastly, the southern market is best only from No- 
vember until April, a season at which range horses 
cannot be had in first-class sale condition, without 
expensive feeding. 

We are aware some fairly satisfactory sales 
of western horses have been made in the south, but 
we do not think the average western shipper would 
be pleased with the result, should he hold his matur- 
ed stock, and place them on that market. 

Our own e.xperience in the past, will not justify our 
operating in that field to any extent in the future. 



Shipping Season. 



The exact time of year when the eastern markets 
are most available and profitable for the range breed- 
er, is a matter which is of sufficient importance to 
warrant more consideration than is usually given it. 
While generally speaking, he can ship any time after 
the stock gets in first-class condition in the spring, un- 
til they begin to look rough and shaggy in the fall 
and winter, there are portions of the season when the 
market is much better than at others. 

While there is a somewhat stronger demand for 
business horses during the very early spring, it is dif- 
ficult to see how range raised stock can be gotten in 
proper sale condition at that season, at least without 
liberal feeding throughout the entire previous winter. 
We doubt whether the expense involved by this plan, 
will be offset by correspondingly greater prices receiv- 
ed for the stock. 

At no time during the year does a range horse 
look better, than when first thoroughly fat in the 
spring. As the season advances, his coat becomes 
more or less sunburned, and while he may be in firm- 



er flesh and thus ship a trifle better, there is another 
circumstance in favor of early shipments which will 
counterbalance this. 

Our experience has uniformly been, that prices are 
highest at the opening of the season and decline stead- 
ily until the close. The reason of this being, that the 
horses are bought for actual service and as the season 
grows shorter, the demand is correspondingly weaker. 
This tendency toward lower prices, will be particular- 
ly marked during the late summer and fall of this 
~oming season. 

By no means make the mistake of sending forward 
thin horses in the haste to strike an early market. 
Always hold them until fat, even if necessary to de- 
lay shipment until September, in order to have them 
in good condition. 

Those breeders who intend to market a consider- 
able number of horses, can usually profit by sorting 
their stock, and making several different shipments. 
We would advise these extensive shippers, to forward 
their dry stock (geldings and barren mares) at the 
earliest date that they are in proper condition. The 
yearlings and two year olds, (if these aged colts be 
shipped, which we consider doubtful policy,) can 
usually be placed to better advantage in the latter 
part of summer. But the greatest benefit to be had 
from this plan of sorting shipments, is in the brood 
mares with foals by their side. For some unknown 
reason, eastern people will pay more for sucking colts 



than any other aged stock, in proportion to their real 
value. During the season just past, when prices for 
-all classes of common horses, especially western stock, 
ruled lower than ever before, we sold hundreds of 
sucking colts at prices ranging from $15 to as high 
as $40 per head. An average of about $20, for or- 
dinary, fairly developed colts, is not far from the 
usual figure, during September and October. On any 
considerable number of mares with colts, the addit- 
ional amount realized from the sales of the sucklings 
should prove an item well worth saving. But to 
secure the prices quoted, the colts must be old enough 
to wean safely — say three months at least, which 
will of course necessitate holding the mares on the 
range until later in the season. 

There are two peculiarities in the general move- 
ment of western horses to the east, that should be 
noted and utilized by the ranchman, seeking the best 
market. 

Invariably during the latter part of July and first 
weeks in August, there is less stock on the market 
than at almost any other period of the season. This 
is an excellent time to place western stock at good 
figures, as the supply is seldom equal to the demand. 

The other singular fact is, that just at the close of 
the season, when the horses as a rule are rough coat- 
ed and in generally poor sale condition, the run of 
stock is especially large. The approaching winter, 
with its period of comparative idleness for most users 



of horses, makes it very difficult to effect sales even 
at low prices. At the close of last season, we were 
compelled to decline a large number of shipments, 
because of its being impossible to dispose of the 
stock, at prices satisfactory to the owners. 

If these late shippers would arrange to reach the 
eastern markets during the dull part of summer above 
noted, they would be the gainers by many dollars. 



Have Shipping Stock Fat. 

Nothing is of greater importance in selling western 
horses in the east, than their condition. The long, 
rough trip from the ranch cuts them down severely at 
best, so to insure their arriving in even fair sale 
shape, they must be thoroughly fat when started. 
Not "good order" or "fair condition" but fat. Just 
as fat as they can get. 

There is no one point, the value of which we have 
labored harder to impress upon the western horseman, 
who contemplates shipping his stock, than this. We 
can sell old horses, small horses, "renegades," horses 
with the entire alphabet burned all over them, 
but we cannot sell thin horses. A thin horse always 
has a rough, woe-begone look, that makes buyers 
distrustful at once. No matter how well bred or of 
how much real worth a colt may be, if he is thin, he 
will not bring as much as the scrubbiest "cayuse" 
on the range, should the latter, (as he usually is) be 
rolling fat. 

Western horses must sell on their appearance alto- 



-36— 



gettier and no thin horse shows to advantage, while a 
plump animal has naturally more or less beauty to 
recommend him. If you have range horses to sell, 
never forget that fat covers a multitude of sins. 
Remember also, that you cannot fatten them up on 
the road or after you reach market. They must leave 
home in that condition. Even if you have to hold 
them until late in the season, never ship them unless 
they are fa/ ! fat ! FAT ! 



What Not to Ship. 

From our frequent assertions in previous pages, 
that the east is the only available market for western 
horses, the reader may infer that there is no choice 
left in making up the consignment; that the ranch- 
man must ship everything which he wishes to dispose 
of. While it is unquestionably true, that to sell any 
number of horses they must be placed in the east, 
yet every western breeder has some animals in his 
herd which he had better sell at home, even at a sac- 
rifice, rather than chance the expense of marketing 
them in the east. 

First of these are the crippled horses. The curb- 
ed, ringboned, broken-hipped and otherwise badly 
injured stock cannot be given away in the east. If 
impossible to sell them at home, get what work you 
can out of them, or let them die on the range. Even 
splints, glass eyes, bad scars from barb wire cuts and 
all such blemishes, are poorly received by eastern 
buyers. To these add off-colors, such as dirty grays, 
buckskins and muddy roans. Horses of this kind will 
do as much work as perfect animals, but they will 



not sell for good prices to the eastern trade. Use 
them up in hard work on the ranch, or sell them to a 
neighbor for the same purpose. 

Next, do not ship colts, — yearlings and two year 
olds. We are often asked to place this class of stock, 
but prefer not to handle it when possible to avoid do- 
ing so. Matured western horses are bought by con- 
sumers for what tlicy crrc, for the work they can see in 
them, but young stock must be grown, and farmers 
do not like to buy western colts of unknown breeding 
and take the chances of their turning out good sala- 
ble animals. They can be sold in the east, but at 
prices almost invariably unsatisfactory to the owner. 
Our advice to ranchmen, if they do not wish to hold 
their colts on the range until three years old, (which 
seems to us the best policy), is either to sell them at 
home, or trade them for matured horses which can 
be shipped in their place. 

Do not ship stallions. They are almost certain to 
damage the other stock in the cars, and they will 
bring very low prices in proportion to their real value, 
if offered on the open market. No eastern buyer 
wishes' to take the risk of altering them. If the 
breeder is closing out his herd and has stallions to 
dispose of, he had better sell them to a neighbor or 
exchange them for marketable geldings. If this is 
impossible, convert them into work horses. 

Next comes the ponies. Nearly every breeder has 
a few of these scrubbiest of scrubs in his band. Little, 



scrawny, slab-sided "cayuses" that are in some way 
accumulated on every horse ranch, either from the 
Indians or as catch colts. While some small horses 
will, if fat, sell exceedingly well in the east, often 
bringing more in proportion to their actual value than 
really better stock, these miserable little beasts to 
whom we are now referring, should never be included 
in a shipment of even fair horses. They hurt 
the standing of the better animals, and moreover, they 
will not repay the freight. Dispose of them in some 
way at home; kill them if there is no other possible 
method of getting rid of such an encumbrance, but do 
not ship them. 

The western horse that sells best on the eastern 
markets, is a smooth, sound animal, thoroughly fat, 
from three to six years old, not less than fifteen hands 
in height and weighing looo pounds and upward. 
The more size and beauty, the better the price. 

While all shipments cannot come up to this standard, 
and horses that are inferior in size, age and breeding 
can be sold for all, and often more than they are 
worth, yet the shipper can profitably exercise care in 
the selection of his consignment. For such animals as 
we have mentioned as being unsalable, will not only 
not repay the cost of marketing them, but they will 
injure the appearance and reputation of the whole 
shipment. No matter if the stock is of generally poor 
quality, have them all sound, and of as good colors 
as possible. 



Points on Shipping. 

One of the most important items in marketing 
range horses, is the condition in which they arrive. 
It makes no difference how good the stock is when 
shipped, if it is placed on the market thin and knock- 
ed to pieces by the trip. It is a hard jaunt at best 
and the shipper should use every possible care to 
make it as easy as he can. Of course, many mis- 
takes are made through inexperience, but we think 
the hints given below, will prove of some assistance to 
those ranchmen who have never before shipped 
horses to the east. While only repeating matter 
that we have published many times before in various 
forms, and which is doubtless familiar to many of 
our readers, yet this pamphlet may reach some 
breeders to whom the suggestions may be of value. 
For this reason we reproduce them. 

Cars. 

If you use the common stock cars furnished by the 
railroad company, satisfy yourself that they are 
sound and perfect, both as to floor, slats, and door 



fastenings. If not, do not accept them. The com- 
pany will furnish good ones if insisted upon, and they 
will not pay for any damages arising from defective 
cars. See carefully that there are no nails, splinters, 
or other dangerous projections on the inside of the 
car. One little nail will often cause many dollars 
loss. 

There are several sizes of the ordinary stock car, 
but we consider the 34 foot the best and most econo- 
mical, as they are a trifle wider and much higher in- 
side. 

If the slats are too wide apart, insist on its being 
remedied by nailing a narrow strip between them in- 
side. There is much danger of a horse kicking his 
foot through where this is not done, and with his leg 
once fastened there, the chances that he will not be 
ruined are decidedly small. 

Be sure the cars are bedded well with sand, so the 
horses will not have a slippery footing. 

We are often asked, whether the western shipper 
can profitably use the Palace or Stable Stock cars. 
While there are several points for and against the 
three or four most popular lines of these cars, exper- 
ience has convinced us that the ranchman can em- 
ploy them with benefit. The feeding and watering 
facilities will enable him to make longer runs and 
consequently better time, and the larger dimensions 
in every way, will lessen the danger of bruising the 
stock. 



West of Chicago, we believe the car companies 
make no rental charge for their cars when loaded 
with range horses, and the slight additional freight 
tariff is fully compensated by the increased carrying 
capacity. Being 36 feet long, enough more horses 
can be shipped to make it up. 

There seems to have been some difficulty exper- 
ienced by the western shippers last season in procur- 
ing these cars promptly. They should be ordered of 
the railroad agent at the shipping point several weeks 
in advance, and shippers should be particular to statfe 
that they want them for horses. If your stock is to 
be consigned to us and you desire stable cars, order 
them of your railroad agent, and at the same time 
write us, giving the expected date of shipment, num- 
ber of cars needed and the particular make of car 
desired. If we have two or three weeks notice, we 
can take the matter up with the car company and 
usually get them there on time. 

This matter of ordering cars of your freight agent 
in ample time before needed, is important even if 
using the common stock cars of the road. Always 
write for them at least three weeks before the time 
you intend to ship. Annoying delays waiting for cars 
are thus done away with. 

Loading. 

One of the most frequent causes of bad results in 
shipping horses, is improper loading, more particu- 



larly overcrowding. Horses should be loaded exactly 
right to bring them through in the best shape. 
Loose enough that if one lies down he can get up 
readily, and still so snug that they will not bruise 
themselves jostling around. 

The idea seems to be with many shippers, that a 
car should hold all the horses that can be crowded 
into it. It is poor economy tr\"ing to save $10 in 
freight, at a cost of $100 in horse flesh. The horses 
will fret and fight, because of the intense discomfort, 
and if one gets down it is very liable never to get up 
again; while if properly loaded, horses are seldom, if 
ever, troublesome about getting down. 

Never go to the opposite extreme and load too light. 
With the car only partly filled, the stock is much 
more liable to be knocked around when the car is 
handled roughly, and further, the freight charges 
being so much per car, the cost per head is largely 
increased when it is not fully loaded. 

The rule is about 23 animals to a 34 foot common 
stock car, and one or two more if you use a stable 
car. Smaller cars in proportion. It varies, of 
course, depending on the size of the horses, this being 
on a basis of good stock, averaging about 1000 
pounds. 

In loading, see that the bridges are firmly in place 
and that the stock is not crowded and jammed in the 
chutes. This is particularly needful in the large stock 



yards, as the employees are often very rough and 
careless in handling horses. 



of opinion 
doing this. 



Shipping Sucking Colts. 

There seems to be a great difference 
among breeders, as to the best way of 
We have personally tried several plans and always 
had the best success, loading them in the same car 
with their dams. Allow the space necessary for a 
full grown horse to 2j or 3 colts, according to size. 
For example — A car that would hold 23 or 24 grown 
horses, should be loaded with 16 or 17 mares with 
colts, according to size. The little fellows will often 
stand the rough usage of shipping, better than the 
matured stock. 

The plan of shipping them separately in a car by 
themselves, has not proved very successful, because 
it deprives the colts of necessary nourishment for so 
long, and further, the rough work of separating them 
from their dams at each feeding point, worries and 
consequently cuts down the stock in flesh, even if 
none are seriously injured, which usually happens. 

Feeding in Transit. 

Do not try and save money by economizing in feed 
in transit. You will only loose in the end. Feed 
them every pound they will eat up clean. Always 
see to it personally, that your stock is fed and water- 
ed immediately after unloading; that the quality of 



the hay is good and that you get the amount you or- 
dered. If there is any negligence in this respect, or 
any attempt to defraud 3'ou in weight, a vigorous pro- 
test where it will do the most good, will generally 
straighten things out. 

No matter how short the run, always put feed in 
the car before loading. If you use stable cars, there 
are, of course, feed racks provided; but if you are 
shipping in ordinary stock cars, you will find from 
200 to 400 pounds of good hay scattered on the floor 
before loading, the very best investment you can 
make. Never neglect an opportunity that will tend 
to help bring your horses through in better order. It 
means more money in the end. Keep them eating 
from start to finish. 

Railroad Pastures, 

Partly through our efforts, several of the leading 
railroads running into Chicago, have established pas- 
tures for stock in transit, located within easy reach 
of the city. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, 
and the Chicago & Northwestern Railways in partic- 
ular, have gone to considerable expense in arranging 
these lay-over pastures, and have provided excellent 
accomodations for shippers wishing to rest up their 
horses after the long trip from the range. 

After seeing the practical benefits of this plan, dur- 
ing the past two seasons, we strongly advise all ship- 



pers to take advantage of it. They will be the gainer 
in several ways by so doing. 

The journey from the extreme west is necessarily 
severe on the stock, and on reaching Chicago, they 
are invariably tired out and badly gaunted. In this 
condition they cannot be placed on the markets, at 
least with the expectation of realizing anything near 
full value for them. But a very few days of quiet 
and rest, combined with good grazing, will make many 
dollars difference in their sale. They will fill up, act 
brighter, and many of the marks and scars of ship- 
ping, will have time to heal and disappear. 

Another point — if forwarded on lo the east, as 
most stock must be, the cars can be re-loaded at the 
pasture and transferred to the eastern lines outside 
the city, without coming to the Union Stock Yards 
at all. This saves the shipper the 25 cents per head 
yardage charge exacted by the Stock Yards company, 
besides the heavy feed bills necessary if unloaded 
there. He can keep his stock for several days on 
pasture, at the same or even less cost than holding 
them over one day at the Stock Yards, and they will 
improve infinitely more on the grass. Further, the 
shipper who has not consigned his stock, and who is 
uncertain as to where to place them, can leave them 
on pasture and come himself to the city, to investi- 
gate the probable market. We invite all such to call 
at our office {JJ Exchange Building, Union Stock Yards) 



before deciding what disposition they will make of 
their horses. 

Trains and Running Time. 

As a general rule, do not keep stock on the cars 
more than twenty-four hours. Of course, there are 
exceptions where by running thirty hours one can 
make time profitably, but every hour they are in the 
cars after that, injures their market value materially. 
And always allow from twelve to twenty-four hours 
for feed and rest. Even when shipping in stable 
cars, where you have facilities for feeding and water- 
ing in transit, it is not a good idea to run much more 
than thirty to thirty-six hours without unloading, to 
allow the stock to rest and move about. Moreover, 
by all means give them a few days in the railroad 
pasture mentioned above. 

Horses are very different animals from cattle to 
ship properly, as they require much more care to 
bring them through in condition for market. There 
are so many things that tend to help or injure their 
sale, while with cattle, it is merely a question of weight 
and shrinkage. 

There is nothing gained in rushing them through. 
There is much more profit in taking it moderatel}', 
allowing them plenty of time for rest and feed ard 
making time when on the road. 

Always be sure of going out on a fast through train 
and never allow the yardmaster to put you on a local 



freight. If necessary, lay over a few hours longer to 
get on a fast freight; the stock will do much better 
in the feed yards, than bumping along on a slow 
train, and will get there quicker in the end. If you 
are being run slow and side-tracked often and your 
stock has been on the cars over time, do not blame 
the trainmen; they are as an.xious to get through as 
you can possibly be. Do your "kicking" where it will 
have some effect. A personal telegram to the local 
superintendent or train dispatcher, will generally ex- 
pedite matters very materially. 

In conclusion — as the price realized for the horses 
depends largely on how they have stood shipping, 
the breeder cannot be too careful of them while on 
the road. Every attention on his part means money 
in his pocket in the end. 



Prospects for the Coming Season. 

We stated many times last season through circu- 
lars, etc., that, in our opinion, western horses would 
sell for higher prices last year, than they ever would 
again. We referred, of course, to unbroken, brand- 
ed stock of medium to poor quality, as these grades 
compose nearly ninety per cent of the western horses 
shipped to the east. 

We can see nothing in the present trade or the fu- 
ture outlook, which does not tend to make us still 
more certain of the correctness of this judgement. 

The ordinary and poor grades of ivcstern stoek, will 
not bring quite as good prices this coming season as 
they did last, but they will sell a great deal high- 
er than in iSpj. 

The values of native raised, broken horses are de- 
clining and the western stock must depreciate even 
faster. The ranchman who does not recognize this 
tendency, and act accordingly, will surely regret it. 
The advantage of comparatively early shipments 
will be greatly enhanced this coming season, because 
of the presidential campaign during the fall. The 



interest and general excitement which this event al- 
ways arouses, and its effect on every branch of trade, 
cannot be fully appreciated by the ranchman, living 
as he does, remote from the great centers of popula- 
tion. Public interest is so centered in this one great 
question, that it is difficult to attract buyers for any- 
thing, and still more so for western horses. If this 
effect is as marked during the coming election as it 
was in 1888, we will be unable to handle any volume 
of trade for the two or three weeks previous and im- 
mediately following election. Therefore, we would 
advise shippers to send their stock forward rather 
early, in preference to holding it until the latter part of 
October and first of November. 

We have our own arrangements for the coming 
season well in hand, the most of our markets selected, 
and our preliminary advertising will soon be preparing 
the field. Our frequent reminders reach every possible 
buyer in the chosen territory, and will have the-effect 
of inducing him to defer his purchase until he has in- 
spected our stock. Every argument that our skillful 
and e.xperienced advertising manager can contrive, 
will be advanced, to convince every horse buyer of the 
endurance and other good qualities of range bred stock. 

We cannot, of course, as yet quote definite prices, 
but we will be pleased to do so as soon as the season 
opens. All inquiries on this, or any other subject 
pertaining to the western horse trade, we will answer 
promptly at any time. 



" What Will They Bring? " 

This is a question more frequently asked us than 
almost any other, and it is the most difficult to 
answer definitely and satisfactorily. 

The selling value of all classes of horses depends 
to a very great extent on their beauty and qjiality, as 
well as size, age and breeding. This is more true of 
unbroken, western horses than any other grade, be- 
cause they have no dei'clopcd qualities to give them 
additional worth. They must sell on their looks. 

For example: — A breeder writes us he has so many 
horses of a certain age and size, which he thinks of 
shipping to us, and he wishes to know exactly what 
they will bring. When we come to sell them, an ani- 
mal weighing only 900 pounds may be easily placed 
for $125., while another in the same carload, weigh- 
ing 1300 pounds, is hard to dispose of at $60. The 
smaller horse has style, action and beauty, and the 
other is rough, coarse and ungainly. 

From this instance, which is not imaginary, we 
trust our readers can appreciate the difficulty of 
quoting definite prices on horses we have never seen. 



and understand why we are obliged to give such a 
wide range to our figures, in estimating the probable 
selling value of a consignment. No written descrip- 
tion can be sufficiently accurate, to enable anyone to 
quote the exact worth of the stock. 

Unbroken, western horses are really -ivort/i what 
they can be made to bring, and breeders selling 
stock through us, are assured of realizing every dollar 
that can be gotten for their horses, on the very best 
markets the country affords. 



Ou 



rselves. 



Although it is only about two years, since we estab- 
lished our present business of handling range bred 
horses on commission, we feel confident that many of 
our readers are acquainted with us by reputation, and 
a comparatively large number personally. 

We believed at the time we inaugurated our new 
enterprise, that there was a real necessity for some 
organized system of selling these horses. Concentra- 
tion is the great movement in the business world to- 
day, and in nothing did this seem more desirable, than 
in marketing western horses. As in every line of busi- 
ness, the greater the volume handled, the less be- 
comes the percentage of expense. So we reasoned, 
that if the scores of more or less well directed efforts 
of individual ranchmen to dispose of their own horses, 
could be all turned into one channel, better results 
and less proportionate expense could be accomplished. 
This we have endeavored to do, and our success so 
far has greatly exceeded our most sanguine anticipa- 
tions. 

As every breeder who has ever attempted to place 
his own horses in the east is fully aware, the business 
is attended with many difficulties. This has been 
more particularly the case during the past two years. 



With good, native raised horses cheap and growing 
cheaper, it is not an easy matter to induce people to 
invest in wild, western stock, against which there is 
such a general prejudice. 

While the first seascn of our new venture greatly 
exceeded our expectations in the amount' of stock 
handled, yet it did not prove remarkably profitable, 
and in many respects the system did not work so 
smoothly as we could have wished. But profiting 
from past experience, we were much better prepared 
for the enormous business which we placed last year. 
From the data kindly furnished us by the various 
railroad companies, we find thai we handled during 
the season of 1891, nearly one-half oi the entire num- 
ber of horses, shipped to the east from the western 
ranges. This unquestionably makes us the largest 
dealers in unbroken, branded horses in this country, 
or in the world. 

While this rapid growth in the extent of our business 
is naturally very gratifying, we have a much greater 
cause for satisfaction, in the knowledge that almost 
uniformly our many patrons have been pleased with 
the manner in which their interests have been hau- 
led. There are of course some exceptions, and of 
these we have a word to say in another place. 

However, the fact that a large proportion of our 
present trade comes from breeders for whom we 
have previously sold stock, should be sufficient com- 
ment on our methods of doing business. 



The most critical cannot but admit that our enter- 
prise has passed beyond the experiniental stage, and 
is now a firmly established feature of the western 
horse trade. We have been constantly making such 
additions to our facilities, as experience has shown to 
be of benefit. While, in common with everything 
else in this world, our system is probably not absolute- 
ly perfect, yet we feel that we can honestly claim to 
offer the western breeder, the very best method of 
turning his horses into money, that he can find to- 
day. 

We can give him every advantage that can be de- 
rived from large experience and its consequent knowl- 
edge of this trade, and the many valuable aids that 
can only be had, by handling a very large volume of 
business. 

To sell western horses promptly and for the very 
best prices, in these days of low values and strong 
competition, requires not only the selection of the 
best known markets, but when found, these markets 
must be thoroughly developed. Expensive advertis- 
ing, the best locations, and skillful, experienced sales- 
men, are absolutely essential. Even if the individual 
ranchman could secure all of these, the cost would 
be so great as to eat up the entire proceeds of his 
shipment. On the other hand, we do not handle one 
car load, or ten, but hundreds of car loads and thou- 
sands of horses every season. While the aggre- 
gate expense is enormous, divided up among so 



many, the amount per head is comparatively small. 

We can give the ranchman the benefit of the best 
of everything, and at a less cost than he would incur 
in marketing his stock unaided. At the opening of 
the coming season, June ist next, we will be more 
fully prepared than ever before, to receive consign- 
ments of any number of western horses and can 
guarantee our patrons the best returns from their 
shipments, that it is possible to secure. We can get 
the highest prices obtainable and can sell the stock 
promptly. 

To those ranchmen who are going to ship unbrok- 
en range horses with the idea of realizing an aver- 
age of $ioo, or $75 per head net for them, we wish 
to say frankly, do not consign them to us. We can 
not get that price for them and we do not believe 
there is any one in the country who can. But from 
breeders having good, smooth stock, which they wish 
to convert into money, getting for them every dollar 
possible and that with no delay, we earnestly solicit 
consignments, and are confident that a trial shipment 
will lead to further and more extensive business re- 
lations. 

We wish also to take this occasion, to thank those 
who have favored us with their shipments, during the 
past two seasons. Their encouragement and good 
wishes, not less than their practical business support, 
have contributed very greatly to the success of our 
undertaking. 



The Dissatisfied. 

In stating in a previous chapter, that we had al- 
most uniformly succeeded in pleasing those western 
breeders for whom we had sold stock, we also men- 
tioned that there were exceptions — men who, at the 
time, and even now firmly believe we dealt unfairly 
with them. Nothing is more natural than for these 
men to express this opinion to their neighbors, or to 
any horseman with whom they come in contact, and 
we do not blame them in the least for so doing, pro- 
viding they are honest in their belief. 

Stories of this character, as a matter of course, work 
more or less injury to our business in certain localities 
and it is only because of this, and our manifest ina- 
bility to reply to each complaint separately, that we 
refer to the matter here. 

We know positively, that each and every instance 
of dissatisfaction, has arisen from one and the same 
cause only. Lack of kncnvlcdgc of ivhat stock of t /its 
class is really ivortli. 

To illustrate: — we receive a consignment from a 
breeder, who has not shipped any of his horses to 



eastern markets for the past three or four years. 
Perhaps he sold his surplus stock, two or three years 
ago, to an eastern speculator, and has been holding 
them since then hoping to effect a similar sale. In 
the mean time, he has been retailing an occasional 
horse at home for good figures, say, $65 to $100 per 
head. 

However, the accumulation of his matured geldings, 
combined with the necessity for ready money, has de- 
cided him to ship them. 

Not wishing to attempt to dispose of them himself, 
he consigns them to us. We place them on what we 
kiioiv to be one of the very best available markets in 
the country, for such stock as this breeder has to sell, 
advertise them extensively, send our best salesman to 
handle them, in fact use every resource at our com- 
mand to get the utmost dollar possible for the stock. 
As the result, we effect a really good sale of the hor- 
ses. Possibly, as has often happened, we have 
expended more money in the effort to made an ex- 
ceptionally good sale, than we receive in commissions. 

But the owner has fixed his ideas of value, by the 
standard of prices received several years since and by 
the amount realized for the horses retailed at home; 
and he has the firmly grounded opinion, that this en- 
tire shipment is worth that much. He expects to re- 
ceive that average per head, or he would not have 
shipped them. 

When we render him an account sales, showing 



that his consignment has brought him iwl, over and 
above all expenses of freight and commission, say $50 
per head, there is an explosion. He has been confi- 
dently expecting from $20 to $40 per head more than 
that, so what is more natural than for him to blame 
us for the result. We are the salesmen, and conse- 
quently, in his opinion, responsible for not getting more 
money for the horses. With his limited experience, 
nothing will convince him that the market and not 
ourselves, is to blame; and he returns home, firm in 
the belief that we have in some way defrauded or 
swindled him. When, as is often the case, the horses 
are extremely well sold at an average of $30 per head 
net, and the owner has been valuing them at $75, 
the degree of censure is just that much increased. 

Curiously enough, many of our largest patrons and 
firmest friends, are breeders who were extremely dis- 
satisfied with the first consignment which we placed 
for them. However, one or two subsequent trials of 
the market on their own account, showed them con- 
clusively that we could be of aid to them in disposing 
of their horses, and we have since then had their en- 
tire business. 

We cannot help the condition of the markets, nor 
can we make the stock bring higher prices than buy- 
ers will give. We can sell the horses quicker and for 
more money, than can their owner unaided, but to 
get for them just what the owner happens to value 
them at, simply because we make the sale of this 



stock a special business, is very seldom possible in 
these days of low prices and hard sales. 

Small, unbroken, branded horses are depreciating so 
rapidly, that it will not be long before the very ranch- 
men who protested so forcibly at last season's low 
values, will consider themselves fortunate at having 
sold a portion of their stock at those prices. 

We crave our reader's pardon for dwelling at such 
length on this unpleasant matter, but in justice to 
ourselves, we could not neglect this opportunity of ex- 
plaining the true cause of these scattering complaints. 
We merely wish to add, that no breeder who has ever 
consigned stock to us, can truthfully claim that he 
has received any but fair and business-like treat- 
ment. 



Are These Points of Value to You? 

The ranchman can easily satisfy himself of the ad- 
visability of consigning his horses to our firm, by 
considering carefully the following points. While 
they are items that go to make up our comprehensive 
guarantee of prompt cash sales of this stock, for the 
best obtainable figures, we believe a detailed consid- 
eration of them, will enable the reader to more read- 
ily form his estimate of the value of our proposition 
to himself. 

A Definite Market. 

The breeder consigning his horses to us, is 
saved all worry as to where to ship his stock. He 
avoids all the indecision and apprehension regard- 
ing his market, and further, he can take advantage 
of through rates on his shipment. He need not, (as 
many ranchmen do), bill his stock to one point, hop- 
ing to effect a sale; failing to do so, shipping them to 
another and so on, paying local rates each time, 
which runs up the amount of his freight charges to an 
excessive figure. By consigning them direct to us, 
he is certain of placing his stock on the very 



Best Markets. 

Having investigated the field thoroughly, and made 
a careful study of this most important matter, we 
inow to a ccrtai)itY those points, where this grade of 
horses will bring the highest prices — where the de- 
mand is strongest and the prejudice against them the 
least pronounced. 

Advanced Freight Charges. 

Often the breeder has not the ready money at hand, 
to pay those charges for freight and feed in transit 
which the railroads insist must be settled before the 
stock will be released, and it may not be convenient, 
or it is unpleasant to borrow it. We pay the freight 
charges on all stock consigned to us, deducting them 
from the proceeds of the horses, when sold. If his 
stock is billed to us, the shipper need take with him 
only the amount necessary to pay his personal ex- 
penses on the road. 

We are also glad to accomodate our patrons, should 
they be in need of funds before stock is closed out 
and settled for. 

Experienced Salesmen. 

The price received for anything, depends almost 
invariably on the ability and experience of the sales- 
man. Nothing is of greater importance. 

Our salesmen for this coming season, have been 
selected from the large number we have tried during 



the past few years, and we know that no better can 
be secured. We certainly would not pay them sala- 
ries ranging from $50 to $150 per week, did we not 
consider their services worth that amount. 

It stands to reason, that a man who makes the sale 
of these horses a specialty, who does nothing else but 
handle them every day throughout the season, and 
has been doing this for years, can secure better prices 
than the breeder who has little or no experience, and 
who cannot know what his stock is realh' worth on 
the market. 

Fixed Expenses. 

The ranchman consigning stock to us, knows in ad- 
vance just what it will cost him to market his horses. 
There are no feed bills, and the hundred other ex- 
penses, which count up so rapidly when placing them 
on his own account. The one item of our commis- 
sion, covers every expense except the freight charges. 

Quick Sales 

are of the greatest importance to the western breeder 
in more than one way. Almost without exception, 
he has home interests that require his personal atten- 
tion, and which suffer during his absence. His time 
is valuable, and he cannot afford to spend two or 
three months (as many have done and must do, when 
placing their stock unaided), peddling out a few 
horses. 



Ordinarily, we can close out a consignment of any 
size, within a very short time, usually not more than 
two or three days after they arrive at the place of 
sale. We have often received a shipment in the 
morning and sold every animal before night. It is 
preferable, however, to give the horses a day or so to 
rest and fill up, which gets them in the best sale con- 
dition. 

Neither do we slaughter the stock regardless of 
value. Our patrons are always consulted regarding 
sales, and should the market not be satisfactory, we 
move the shipment to some other point at our own 
expense. 

Another benefit of prompt sales, is that the horses 
are disposed of before they begin to fall away. All 
breeders who have marketed their own stock, will ap- 
preciate this point. Western stock that has shipped 
in good shape, will look exceedingly well when first 
filled out after arrival; but in the course of a very few 
weeks they will begin to grow thin, and no amount 
of feeding will keep them in condition for sale. This 
is probably caused by the hard trip and change of 
feed, but whatever the rcaSon may be, tlie result is 
disastrous to the owner, and can only be avoided by 
selling them as soon as possible after they are fit to 
offer. 

Retail Sales. 

We sell all horses at retail, direct to the consuuier, 



and in this way secute for our patrons every dollar 
their horses are worth. We sell them on the same 
markets as would a speculator, if the breeder should 
sell his stock to one. As the dealer's expenses would 
equal our commission, our patrons can realize the 
same net amount for their stock, as would the specu- 
lator. 

Why sell your horses to a trader, (if you can do so, 
which is very doubtful) and allow him a profit on 
them, when you can get the same price for them that 
he can, and without the slightest effort or trouble to 
yourself in so doing .' 

Cash Sales. 

While the ranchman can occasionally sell a ship- 
ment in the western farming states, or on the road, 
almost uniformly he must give credit for part or all of 
the amount. Notes, (especially if of dubious quality) 
are not nearly as useful as money, in settling accounts 
at home. We place our patrons stock in localities 
where it can be sold on a strictly cash basis, and all 
consignments are settled for in spot cash — drafts on 
currency as desired. 

We insure all these benefits to our patrons. 

Are they not worth considering, before you decide 
whether you take the chances of selling your stock 
yourself, or letting us do it for you.'' 



Terms. 

Our rates of commission for selling range horses 
areas follows: — 

Fifteen per eeiit on the gross amount reali-jed fur 
the stock. 

All liorses selling for less than $jO, to pay a full 
commission on that amount. In other worils, the 
minimum charge is $^.30 per head. This rule does 
not apply to sucking colts sold leith their dams. Even 
if sold separately, the mare and colt ivill be counted as 
one animal. 

This commission includes the payment of all ex- 
penses I'f us, after the stock is delivered at such points 
as tee may direct. 

The freight charges, including of course feed 
in 'transit, and our commission at the rates 
above given, are the only items deducted from 
the gross sales of the stock. We make no 
charge for feed, or any extra whatever. • As we sell 



the horses consigned to us, at points east of Chicago, 
the freight charged against the stock, is to the final 
destination or place of sale. We take charge of it at 
that point and pay all further expenses. 

While some breeders, who have had little experi- 
ence on eastern markets, may, at first glance, consid- 
er our charges a trifle high, we think further consider- 
ation and a trial of our system, will convince them 
that the rates are really reasonable. We could, with 
equal profit to ourselves, lessen the rates by reducing 
the expenses of sale. But we have learned from 
many trials to this end, that quick and certain sales 
can only be insured, by* using every advantage given 
by competent salesmen, liberal advertising, expensive 
locations for sale etc. The necessaay outlay for 
these, is returned many times over in the promptness 
of sales and the higher prices received for the horses. 
It is good business policy, to expend a dollar when 
there is a certainty of getting several in return for it. 

A trial consignment will easily demonstrate the 
true economy of our proposition, and we earnestly re- 
ijuest this trial. 



Special Instructions. 

We will esteem it a great favor, if shippers con- 
signing stock to us will carefully observe the few points 
given below. It will greatly assist us in handling 
their interests to the best advantage. 

Determine as nearly as possible, the probable date 
of shipment, then advise us by mail, giving good gen- 
eral description of the stock and e.xact date you ex- 
pect to forward it. This will enable us to allow for 
it and to have all arrangements made for placing it 
promptly. Also give probable route viz: the different 
lines of railroad over which you e.xpect to come. 

It is not necessary for the owner to come with his 
stock, and should he not wish to do so, the shipment 
should be in charge of a reliable man, who will attend 
to it carefully. If desired, we will take charge of 
consignments at Chicago and forward them to mar- 
ket in care of our own men. 

The owner when not coming with his horses, should 
always advise us by letter as to how he wishes settle- 
ment made; whether with man in charge, or by remit- 
tance direct to him. 

While we give every consignment the same care 



and attention, selling the horses as quickly and for the 
highest possible prices, whether accompanied by the 
owner or not, yet we always pieferthat the owner or his 
accredited representative be in charge of the shipment. 

When the horses are loaded, telegraph our Chicago 
office, giving name, number of head etc., so we can lo- 
cate the consignment en route, if necessary. 

Bill your horses direct to T. H. Spaulding & Co., 
Union Stock Yards. Chicago, and unless otherwise 
instructed by wire, stop the stock off at the railroad 
pastures, in place of allowing them to be brought di- 
rect to the Stock Yards. We have fully explained the 
advisability of this, on p'age 40. If you should not 
care to come on to the city, our agent at the pasture 
will arrange to forward the stock etc. 

Should there be a railroad accident, causing loss or 
injury to your horses, wire us immediately. The 
shipper in charge, should proceed with such horses as 
are uninjured, leaving the damaged ones with the 
agents of the railroad company. We will attend to 
all claims of our patrons for damages against railroad 
companies, without charge. 

Should any further instructions be desired, we will 
furnish them promptly by mail. 

Address plainly — 

T. H. Sp.\ulding & Co., 
"]"] Exchange Building, 
Union Stock Yards, 

Chicago, 111. 



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